Hidden Hearts
by Aife Bisclaveret
Summary: Glenalta is a place built on secrets, a home to renegades hiding from the Night World but when an assassin comes to town threatening the safety and peace the renegades have found there loyalties and friendships are put to the test.
1. Chapter 1

Hidden Hearts 

Disclaimer: The Night World concept is the property of L.J. Smith. All characters are creations of my peculiar imagination. Gilbert and Sullivan are mentioned who are the property of themselves and any of their operettas also belong to them.

Spoilers: None so far it is based on the Night World Series but I don't spoil any of the books, just the Night World concept really.

Author's notes: This is a new story completely unconnected to Bound by Flame in anyway but I'm going to thank everyone who reviewed the last few parts of Bound by Flame here and hope that you read this story too.

So to Mandy, adelaide, Eleyne, Magelet, tough-fluff, Water Angel, Meg, Carrie, werepanther, Carina, Jackie W and Queen Kat thank you so, so much for reviewing, your comments and praise left me speechless, I cannot thank you all enough. And because you asked there is going to be a sort of sequel, I've even begun writing it but I don't yet if Gwern and Des will be in it. 

Part One.

The howl rang out deep and loud rising up to meet the sliver of a moon that hung low in the sky. It was joined by others ranging in pitch and volume, a chorus of voices wild and free singing their joy of the hunt. The pack loped silently through the fields, moving like shadows, like ghosts, a fleeting image no one was sure they saw and leaving no evidence that they had passed that way. The pack was hunting, hunting in the flat fields and pastures that were not their natural habitat, not anymore. There had been a time in the past, the now forgotten past when the land had been covered in oak forests, when the land had truly been pack land.

In their homes humans shivered as they heard the pack's song. A part of them that remembered what it was like to be prey awakened within them. They told each other it was a group of stray dogs, nothing more. Sometimes a comforting lie is easier to believe than the truth. The truth, that the valley of farms and small town were a home to the creatures of the night, a hiding place, a dumping ground for those it didn't like or couldn't control. People searching for solace, escaping from something or someone, everyone with their own secrets, their own pain but all searching for the same ultimate goal, journey's end.

A figure stood sheathed in night listening to the song of the pack. He rose his cigarette to his lips as he surveyed the town. This was the last place in the world he thought he'd end up but then he'd always thought this place was a myth, an urban legend of the Night World. Truthfully no one in the Night World believed this place existed now here he was. What was he doing here? He was a fighter, born for battle, built for the fight. He was a hunter born of predators and here he was hiding like a rat, he had no other real choice his sense of self preservation was too strong to let him die for something as unimportant as pride or honour or stupidity, whatever it was that made him want to go looking for trouble.

Trouble, maybe trouble was too nice a word for it, he wasn't hiding from trouble he was hiding from death. He who had brought death to so many was now cowering in a corner hoping it would pass him by. That was the problem, he knew, he of all people knew that Death didn't pass anyone by, it came for everyone eventually and maybe, just maybe he wanted to face it like a man, like a warrior. However for whatever part of him that wanted to die a brave and honourable death an even larger part of him wanted to stay alive. That was why he'd come to this town, that was why he'd stay. As he moved down the street towards his new house the light of a nearby streetlight revealed a young, handsome face with eyes that were too old, too experienced for his youth.

Emma Casey sat in the back of The Rising Moon waiting for her friends. The place was pretty much deserted which wasn't surprising considering it's reputation. The Rising Moon was a dangerous place or so people said though there hadn't been many disturbances there just a fight or two. It's bad reputation was based mostly on rumours and the fact that some of the town's more notorious characters were know to frequent the place. The proprietors, the Lowells, weren't exactly anxious to dissuade or end the rumours anyway. In their opinion the bad reputation was a good thing, it meant that usually people didn't go there unless they were pack or friends of the pack so they were able to keep The Rising Moon pack only without any effort on their part. 

Emma wasn't pack, she was pure human but she did fall under the other category and her friend Fiachra had placed her under pack protection a few months before. Plus the Lowells liked her and she was friends with their son Hern. Emma was one of the few humans in the town who knew about the Night World, the pack and all the other Night People in town were renegades but even so they didn't advertise what they were, not many humans could handle that knowledge. They only told humans they could trust and they were few and far between. 

Emma looked up as her friends Hayden and Stella entered the café. Hayden as usual was smiling brightly, his violet eyes dancing and his white blond hair dishevelled as always. Stella's tall, slender form moved with an easy grace across the room with the smooth and fluid movements that gave her away as a Night Person. A smile played over her wistful features when she saw Emma.

"Hey guys," Emma greeted them.

"Hey Ems," Hayden replied, "How you doing?"

"Been better," she told him with a smile, "been a whole lot worse so basically I am of the good."

Hayden shook his head with a wry grin, "It still amazes me how you can use so many words when one would suffice."

"It's a rare and special talent," she told him smiling brightly.

As she said this their other friends, Hern, Fiachra and Tristram piled in through the door. Hern and Fiachra were pack but Tristram on the other hand was human though an old soul.

"Hi guys," Hern said as they approached the table. "Been waiting long?"

"We just got here," Hayden told him.

"So who else are we expecting?" Fiachra asked as he straddled a chair.

"Clea and Nathan are supposed to show," Hayden informed him, "the others are questionable."

"I've always thought so," Stella said with a grin.

"Huh," Hayden said with an expression of confusion that caused Emma to laugh.

"She means she always thought the others were questionable," she explained to him still amused by his lack of comprehension. "Obviously your wit is way too highbrow for him," she remarked to Stella.

"I know," Stella replied, "Knock knock jokes are more his speed."

Hayden glared angrily at Stella, "Just cause I like my humour a little less clever and a lot more funny is not a bad thing."

"Knock knock jokes are funny?" Tristram inquired innocently.

"Funnier than Stella anyway," Hayden responded.

Stella glared angrily at Hayden her gray eyes changing to the colour of steel, "Oh I'm not funny now." Then a grin spread across her face, "I am the very model of a modern comic genius."

Emma giggled and watched again as the joke flew right over Hayden's head, the look on his face was so comical she began a fit of laughing.

"Personally I wouldn't say genius," Tristram remarked, "I mean Gilbert and Sullivan is a joke as it is, anyone can make it comical."

"Okay enough," Hayden ordered, "I will not have you holding conversations I don't understand in front of me, do it while I'm not around so I won't have to know how uninformed I am."

"Being uninformed when it comes to Gilbert and Sullivan is not a bad thing, believe me," Tristram told him, "My mother made me sit through The Mikado, Pirates of Penzance, H.M.S. Pinafore and Princess Ida, it is the worst form of torture."

"You just have no appreciation for culture," Stella said.

"The Mikado, like the biscuit?" Hayden asked hopefully.

"No," Stella replied laughing, "like Three Little Girls from School Are We."

"Oh that," Hayden said shaking his head, "I know that. I guess that means I'm not as uninformed as I thought."

"Sure honey, you believe that if you want," Stella told him.

As they sat talking and waiting for the rest of their tribe to turn up Hern's mother came into the café. She had been serving in the bar section of The Rising Moon which was beside the café, the counters of each were joined by a door so one person could serve both if need be.

"Do you kids need anything?" she asked Hern.

"Nope we're good. I think," he replied looking at the others to make sure they agreed.

"Okay, well I'll be next door, Hern will you look after anyone who wants anything here?"

"Sure Mom, no problem," he agreed.

She turned to leave then remembering something else she wanted to say turned back. "Did you hear anything about a new guy in town?" she asked.

"There's a new guy in town," Fiachra said surprised.

"That's what Isis told me," Hern's mom replied. "He's supposed to be around the same age as you guys, lamia I think. He'll probably be staring school Monday." With that she returned to the bar leaving them to their thoughts.

Clea and Nathan arrived about two minutes later and they began what Hayden described as their old lady gossip sessions. They'd talk and laugh for ages usually about nothing but it was always fun. They made an unlikely group that was for sure, a ragtag bunch of Night People and humans, misfits and mystics Hern said. Emma wasn't even sure how they'd all become friends, maybe it was because no one else would have them or because they'd just been drawn to each other. It really didn't seem to matter how it had happened only that it had and now they were close, they were like family and Emma knew they'd do anything for each other.

When they all eventually began to prepare to leave for home Hayden approached Emma. "You've been quiet today. Everything okay?"

"I haven't been that quiet and yes everything's fine," she told him, "I was just thinking."

"That explains it," he said with a smile, "I know how much energy it takes for your brain to work."

Emma grinned, "It being so big and all."

"I don't think that's what I was saying. Anyway you going home now?"

"Yep, straight home as a dutiful daughter should. You want to walk with me or even better have you got the car and therefore the power to save me the long walk home?"

"Sorry I am sans vehicle today, your feet are just going to have to do the walking. Unless you want to try and let your fingers do the walking but I wouldn't recommend it," he quipped.

"Why? You try it?" Emma asked.

"Once and my fingers have never been the same since plus all the blood rushing to me head, it wasn't pretty."

Emma grinned and pushed open the door. "See ya Hern," she called.

"Yeah," Hern replied, "see you Monday."

Emma and Hayden walked towards the end of town in virtual silence. Emma contemplated conversation topics for a minute then abandoned the idea because she didn't really feel like talking much.

"Did I ever tell you what a stimulating conversationalist you are?" Hayden said eventually to break the silence.

"You may have mentioned it," Emma replied with a smile. "Though those are very big words for someone who doesn't know anything about Gilbert and Sullivan."

Hayden grinned sheepishly, "What can I say I'm not a music man." After that they continued to walk in silence until eventually Hayden broke down, "Can we please talk about something, anything," he pleaded. "I don't like silence. It means I'm alone with my own thoughts, it's terrible."

Emma didn't know how to react, she was only half sure he was joking. She smiled at him hoping that he was and granted his request. "Did you hear the pack last night?"

"Yeah, they came right through the fields at the back of my place."

"They should be careful, they don't want people to see them."

"They are careful Em, you know that. They've been here a long time and they'll be here along time more. You know how people are here, so eager to ignore and forget rather than think about what's going on. You hear of people letting their imaginations run away with them, the people here don't even let reality run away with them."

"Still," Emma said softly, "if word got back to the Night World."

"It won't," Hayden said confidently, "the elders won't let it. You know how hard they work to make sure that won't happen."

That was true, the elders had an infinite number of rules to keep the community from being discovered and everyone who sought refuge there was willing to follow them, they were willing to do anything to keep from being found, to be safe, to live without fear. That was the reason they came to Glenalta, a place without fear, a place where they could live a normal life even though they were hiding. Emma didn't even know why most people were there, nobody talked about it, it just wasn't done, everyone was entitled to their secrets and nobody really wanted to reveal them.

Emma glanced at Hayden sideways and wondered why he had come to Glenalta. He'd arrived a little over a year before from the North of England, he was a pretty long way from home with no family or anything. What could have happened that would have made him come so far and leave so much behind and Stella, what was she running from? Emma sighed, she'd probably never know.

"You look preoccupied," Hayden said to her.

"I am," was her only reply.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing important," she told him.

"Okay," he sighed, "I guess I'll see you Monday."

Emma glanced up in surprise, they were already at Hayden's place, she hadn't realised, she hadn't even noticed the time passing.

"Yeah Monday," she replied, "I'd better get home Mom and Dad will be worrying."

When she did get back to her house she discovered a note from her parents to say they would be gone for a while and to make her own dinner if she wanted some. She curled up on the sofa and suddenly felt very alone, she couldn't really understand it, she had lots of friends and her parents but sometimes she still felt lonely. Maybe it was just because she wanted someone she could share everything with, someone with whom there would be no secrets. It didn't seem likely in her town, her home was built on secrets, there wasn't anyone she knew who didn't have one even herself. 

So if she kept secrets, secrets she would never reveal to anyone, how could she expect anyone else to reveal theirs? It wasn't going to happen. Life just wasn't like that, no matter how much she disliked it people needed their secrets and usually they kept them for good reasons. So she didn't really know if knowing everything about someone even their deepest, darkest, innermost secrets would be a blessing or a curse.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: The Night World is the property of L 

Disclaimer: The Night World is the property of L.J. Smith.

Spoilers: None so far it is based on the Night World Series but I don't spoil any of the books, just the Night World concept really.

Part Two.

Midir Boyce sat near the front of the bus that was taking him to his new school. He was not impressed by what he'd seen of his schoolmates so far, they all looked like drones in their ugly, navy and grey uniforms. They were a mixture of Night People and humans, he was shocked by how easily they mixed together but he realised things would be different here, the Night World laws didn't apply here, the Night People of Glenalta had their own rules.

He let his gaze drift around the bus, there was a young witch sitting across from him, a shapeshifter further down and a made vampire at the back talking animatedly with a vermin girl and a boy who had the colouring of a Harman.

They pulled into the long one storey building that was the school. It was painted a horrible yellow and looked more like a factory than a school. Midir discovered that the school was composed of a number of buildings and that each teacher had their own specific room so it was pretty easy to find his way around. Without even thinking he probed the mind of a human boy who walked past him to find out the direction of the principal's office.

"Come," a booming voice laden with authority ordered after he knocked politely.

Midir stepped into the office expecting to be greeted by some ignorant, aged human, instead a tall man with dark hair peppered with grey and a thin, intelligent face sat behind the desk. He appeared to be in his forties and had a distinct aura of power around him.

"Ah Mr. Boyce, I presume, I'm Mr. Corbet, the principal. I've heard a lot about you."

"I'm sure you have," Midir replied with a smile he knew most found unnerving but Mr. Corbet continued unfazed. 

"Let's get straight down to business, shall we. I see you don't have an uniform, you can get that here in town, I expect to see it on you tomorrow."

Midir listened as the 'shifter ran through what seemed like an endless list of rules, his timetable and book list. He had never been so happy to get out of a room than when Corbet led him to his first class, English.

Mr. Corbet knocked abruptly and marched into the middle of a young teacher's lesson. "Miss Clifford, everyone we have a new student starting with us today, Midir Boyce. I hope you'll all make him welcome."

Midir watched the paling of a number of faces when Mr. Corbet announced his name, so some of them knew who he was, the Night people he assumed. It was a reaction he was used to and one that told him he would be anything but welcome by these people.

Emma noticed the strange reactions of her friends to the new guy Hern's mom had told them about. She couldn't see anything wrong with him, nothing that would explain the reactions of her friends anyway. He was of medium height, medium build and had very dark brown hair. His face was set in very proud lines, that and the way he held himself made it appear that he was looking down on everything. Miss. Clifford pointed him to a seat and continued with the lesson.

English was boring beyond belief and Emma spent the time playing Xs and Os with Stella, which really didn't help with the boredom but it was something to do. Stella seemed preoccupied with something and spent most of the time staring into space while her hand played gently with the black rose pendant she wore. Occasionally Emma's thoughts would and glances would drift to the new guy, Midir. She wondered who he was, what he was and why her friends had reacted to him like they did. She knew he wasn't human, Hern's mom had said as much but she couldn't remember what she'd said he was. Stella would know or if not Fiachra would or Hern. 

She didn't get a chance to ask them after English because they all had to hurry to different parts of the school. She didn't meet any of them again until lunchtime. When Truth beat her to the punch.

"So what's the deal with the new guy?" Truth asked as she grimaced at the sandwich her mother had given her for lunch.

"Midir Boyce?" Hern asked as Truth and Fiachra swapped lunches.

"Yes Midir Boyce," Truth replied, "is there another new student we should know about?"

"Not that I know of," Hern said with a smile.

"Well what is the deal with him?" Emma asked feeling that the conversation was getting off track. "You guys looked kind of weird when he came into class today."

"We did?" the witch Psyche said.

"Not strange exactly," Clea replied her Asian features thoughtful as she searched for a description, "just surprised or shocked and tense."

"Well I don't know about the others but that's pretty much how I felt," Fiachra revealed, "and maybe even a little frightened."

Shock coursed through Emma, Fiachra frightened, she never thought anything could scare him much less hear him admit that someone did. Who the hell was this guy? Fiachra looked around to make sure there were no humans around before he began.

"Midir Boyce is one of the Night World's most famous assassins, in this country anyway, probably on the whole of Europe. He's lamia and has embraced his predatory nature more than anyone I've ever meet. He's cold, deadly and viscous and he's never missed a target."

"What's he doing here then?" Tristram asked coolly and logically, "I mean the elders would hardly just leave him stroll around here without a reason."

"Maybe he's reformed," Truth offered.

Stella barked a bitter laugh at this, "A better bet is the elders have done some sort of deal with him, let him kill his target if he promises not to reveal the location of the town or something."

The eyes of the group turned to Fiachra whose father was the head of the pack, he just shrugged, "It's possible I suppose."

"But that wouldn't make any sense," Truth protested, "I mean what would stop him from just coming back and killing anyone and everyone he wanted."

"Yes," Hern said, "he could kill all the chickens he wanted."

Truth looked at him like he was crazy until she noticed the group of human girls looking at them.

"Sorry," she said in a whisper, "But just look at it, you gotta see what I mean. It would be like having his own quick and easy withdrawal account, anytime he needs more money he'd just have to come here and kill or capture someone. I mean there's got to be enough bounties on people around here to keep him rolling in it till kingdom come."

"Truth's got a point," Tristram broke in, "the elders aren't stupid. They're not going to give some assassin free rein to pick off the renegades one by one."

"You'd be talking about half the town there," Clea agreed.

"I don't know," Stella said softly, "maybe the pack."

"The pack nothing," Fiachra snapped angrily, "the pack wouldn't make a decision like that without consulting the elders."

"Of which the majority are pack members," Stella argued. "It's not like you'd have to worry about him killing any of you."

"Say that again," Fiachra snarled his voice becoming thick with rage. "You know plenty of pack members are renegades and we protect our own, you of all people should know that."

Stella blushed and wriggled uncomfortably under his steady gaze obviously remembering how the pack had protected her when she'd been threatened by a group of lion shapeshifters.

"Anyway the pack would never put anyone in town in danger, you know that," Truth declared confidently.

"I know," Stella replied softly, "I'm sorry Fiachra, I know that you guys are good people and I really didn't mean to offend you. It's just, you don't know what it's like to be on the run, to never know what could be behind any corner for so long and then when you finally find some place safe to have Midir Boyce turn up."

Emma had never seen Stella look like this before, she looked so sad, forlorn and hopeless. Her outburst had been so unexpected, she usually never questioned the elders except when it came to the rule about anyone under 18 going to school or those who appeared under 18 and hadn't finished school, which was understandable considering she was 25 though she looked 17. She hadn't even liked school when she was human and now she'd been sent back to get her Leaving Cert.

"It's like the only peace I've ever known has been taken away," she told them, "that probably sounds strange but until I came here I'd really never known peace, never felt safe or trusted anyone and now I'm not sure if I can feel that here anymore." 

"Stella," Hayden said sternly, "I understand how you feel but there has to be a good explanation for why he's here. You can't let one person destroy what you have here, you can still trust us, we won't let anyone hurt you."

"And neither will the pack," Fiachra added, "you know you're all under our protection."

"Whether we like it or not," Tristram said with a wry smile.

Stella gave a watery smile, "I know, it's just if someone like him can come here who else can?"

The bell rang as they all contemplated this unnerving thought.

Emma made her way quickly to her accounting class. The others all took history or biology so she made her way through the school solo. She pondered what Stella had said, turning it over and over in her mind. 

She was right of course, if Midir Boyce was as bad as everyone said he was and he was walking around town so freely who was to say who or what else could do the same. In a place where so many people were running from something it was a very scary thought, that what they were running from could just turn up on their doorstep one day. It must have taken a lot for the elders to let him stay in town, Emma wondered just how much.

Emma arrived in the classroom just seconds before the teacher and scurried quickly to an available desk. There were plenty of them considering there were only nine in the class. As she pulled out her books she spotted a dark head in the corner and realised that number had been raised to ten, Midir Boyce was in the class sitting not 6 feet away from her. 

Emma suddenly became very aware of her thoughts, very aware of the possibility he might read them, she concentrated very, very hard on thinking of nothing but accounting and keeping her mind clear of anything the others had said about him. She found it exceedingly difficult, the more she tried not to think any thoughts about him the more she did.

At one stage she found herself thinking what kind of parents would raise a son like that? One that would be a killer, an assassin by the age of 17 and who, she guessed, had been doing it for a number years, he must have been to have such a reputation. But then she realised she had her answer, vampires. She looked at him again, the truth was she couldn't even tell if he was 17 or 717, how could you tell with vampires?

All during the class she found her gaze drawn to him again and again. He looked so ordinary, so usual if she passed him on the street she doubted she'd even look at him twice. Could he really be all the others said he was?

He didn't look like some kind of vicious killer or anything maybe the others were wrong or maybe the tales of his deadly deeds had been greatly exaggerated, that she could believe, vampires especially lamia had a tendency to be very liberal and colourful with stretching the truth. So convincing herself he was nothing to worry about she turned her concentration to manufacturing and trading accounts. 

When the bell rang for the end of class, Emma hauled her bag up onto the table in front of her and began to shove her books into it. When she looked up she gave a startled jump as Midir Boyce stood in front of her. When she saw him up close she realised ordinary wasn't the word to describe him. 

He was, handsome was too pallid a word to describe him, no word seemed apt to cover it. He had a strong, square jaw line and high cheekbones. His lips were twisted into a wry half smile and his eyes were dark brown and framed by long lashes black as soot. Eyes in which Emma could see something, something that spoke of moonless nights and warmthless hours.

"I just thought I'd say," he whispered, "everything your friends told you is true." He smiled, "And more. If anything things have been played down not exaggerated."

Emma couldn't even think, couldn't even reply, she just stood there her mouth opening and closing like a fish. So maybe he wasn't normal.

"What gave it away," a snide voice asked in her head, "the fact he has killed or the fact he likes to brag about it?" She glanced at his retreating back, "There's someone I'll be avoiding from now on."


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: The Night World is the property of L 

Disclaimer: The Night World is the property of L.J. Smith.

Spoilers: None so far it is based on the Night World Series but I don't spoil any of the books, just the Night World concept really.

Author's notes: Thanks adelaide for reviewing. I'm glad you like it and here are some new parts just for you. :)

Part 3.

Midir didn't know why exactly he'd said that to the vermin girl. He'd found her thoughts about him throughout the class highly amusing but in the end he just didn't like the way she saw him. He didn't know if it was because she wasn't afraid of him or because she thought he was ordinary, either way he'd enjoyed setting her straight.

He'd enjoyed seeing her eyes dilate in fear and feeling her pulse quicken. Fear, well the ability to cause fear was intoxicating, it could be an addiction if you didn't control it. Some vampires Midir had known said fear made blood taste sweeter. That girl had looked sweet, he wondered how she'd taste, he felt his canines grow just thinking about it.

"No," he thought, "no, not here remember."

Emma tried for the rest of the day to keep her run in with Midir Boyce off her mind without much success. The rest of the school day passed without her even noticing.

"You okay?" Truth asked her after the final bell of the day had rung.

"I'm fine why?"

"You just look like you're a little out of it," Truth said, "like you're on a different planet."

"You found me out," Emma replied, "I've been contacting my home planet."

Truth laughed, "Always knew you were out of this world hon."

Emma grinned back, "Yes but it can be tiresome dealing with such lower lifeforms all the time."

"I'm sure. Speaking of lower lifeforms, are you coming to Hern's to meet the boys?"

"Yeah," Emma said a little unsurely, "why not, I'd only have to do homework if I go home."

"Great," Truth smiled, "it's comforting to know I'm not the only procrastinator in the group. Procrastination is God's gift to us poor put upon Leaving Cert students."

Emma grinned. "You know when I first meet you," she said thoughtfully, "I never thought you'd be funny."

"And now you know I'm not," Truth smiled. "I know what you mean, you know how shy I am around people I've just meet. Sometimes I'm shy around people I've known for years, really it's just with you guys I'm like this."

"Like what?"

"Comfortable enough to be myself."

Emma knew exactly what Truth meant it was only with the group she felt she could say something stupid and they wouldn't judge her for it. Sure they'd laugh their asses off but they wouldn't hold it against her or think she was stupid because of it. 

She guessed Truth was right, it had a lot to do with how comfortable she felt with them and most of all the acceptance she got from them. She knew that they weren't judging her and that they accepted her warts, idiosyncrasies and all.

When she and Truth arrived at The Rising Moon Emma spotted a familiar head of ash blond hair sitting at one of the tables.

"Hazel," she exclaimed happily, "explain yourself immediately, I haven't seen you in days, what have you been doing?"

The petite vampire smiled, "Avoiding you, what do you think? Hey Truth."

"Hey Hazel, how you doing?"

"Good, good," Hazel replied in her heavy American accent. "How was school?" she asked with a smug smile.

"Fine," Emma told her, "don't go asking Stella that though, she's liable to knock your head off."

Hazel smiled, "Look, it's not my fault Stella's got to go to school. It'll be good for her to have her Leaving anyway."

"You're just saying that because you don't have to go to school," Emma replied.

"Hey I had to go through all this too you know, I did only finish last year you know."

"We know," Truth replied jealously.

Hazel smiled again, "Well you guys only have another year so cheer up."

"Let's talk about something else," Emma said. "We've spent enough time at school without talking about it in our spare time too. So seriously Hazel what you been up to?"

"Truthfully?" Hazel asked.

"Truthfully," Emma nodded.

"Absolutely nothing, sometimes I wish I was still at school just to have something to do."

Truth gasped mockingly, "Blasphemer, go wash your mouth out this instant and never ever repeat such a thing in front of me again."

Hazel laughed, "Okay Truth if it's going to make you so melodramatic I promise never to give voice to such thoughts again."

Truth grinned revealing a dimple in her left cheek, "As it should be. Do you guys want anything?" she asked as she stood.

When both girls shook their heads she left the table and headed for the counter where Hern's mom was positioned.

"So did I hear right?" Hazel asked Emma, "Is Midir Boyce really going to school here?"

"So it would appear," Emma told her.

"Jesus, I wonder how he managed to wrangle that one. The boys did fill you in on who he is, didn't they?"

"That they did," Emma replied, "and more."

"That's good," Hazel said thoughtfully, "guess I don't have to warn you to keep away from him so."

"When did you get so protective?" Truth asked as she slid back into her seat, "I thought you believed in one for one and everyone for themselves."

"Since a trained killer came to town and I do except when it comes to you guys, you're my friends, my family," Hazel said looking slightly uncomfortable.

Truth and Emma smiled at her.

"Ah shucks Hazel," Truth said, "how am I supposed to make fun of that." She leaned over and gave the blond vampire a hug.

Hazel shoved her away and laughed, "Okay guys no need to get all emotional on me."

"That wasn't emotional, you want emotional we can do emotional, right Truth?

"You bet hysterical laughter or hysterical crying?"

"Cut it out you guys," Hazel said smiling, "Can't you ever be serious?"

"Only when I'm being straight man for Emma and vice versa," Truth replied grinning.

"You guys are wicked goofy," Hazel told them seriously, "I hope you know that."

"You know Hazel brings up an important question," Emma said to Truth.

"She does?" Truth said sceptically.

"I do?" Hazel asked in a similar tone.

"Indeed she does. If Goofy is a dog and Pluto is a dog how come Goofy can speak and Pluto can't?"

"That is a good question," Truth agreed, "but I've got a better one. Is Goofy actually a dog?"

"They at it again?" Fiachra asked dropping his school bag on the floor and throwing himself down on a chair.

"Are they ever not?" Hazel replied.

"Good point," he said smiling.

"We are not always like this," Truth argues, "only occasionally when we're both in goofy moods."

"I'll give you that I guess," Fiachra acquiesced, "but it seems to be happening more and more often lately."

"What can I say," Emma replied with a glance at Truth, " the stress is getting to us."

"What stress?" Fiachra asked stretching his tall, lithe body and putting his hands behind his head.

"The stress of being your friend," Emma replied as Truth said, "The stress of being friends with you."

They looked at each other and giggled.

"We must be on the same wavelength," Truth said.

"Or sharing the same brain cell," Hazel suggested.

Fiachra shook his head laughing, "you guys will never change."

"And that's a bad thing?" Truth asked seriously.

"I don't know," Fiachra replied honestly, "but I like you guys the way you are."

"Everyone's being really sweet today," Emma observed to Truth.

"I know, they must really like us or this Midir Boyce must be one bad mother."

"Shut your mouth," Emma said catching on.

"Shaft," Fiachra joined in grinning. "I swear you guys spend hours working on your routine."

"Nope, it's a benefit of sharing the same brain cell," Truth told him.

"I thought the others were coming," Emma said to Fiachra after a few moments of silence."

"Me too," he replied, "they were only a few minutes behind me."

"They can't have disappeared," Truth said, "Hern at least would have to come, he does live here."

"Maybe the aliens got them," Hazel suggested.

"Perhaps," Emma agreed, "anything's possible."

Fiachra sighed, "Granted a lot of strange things happen here but we're not in Roswell."

"Okay so aliens not an option," Truth said with a smile.

"Or maybe we're right here laughing our asses off at you guys," Hern's voice said.

"Hey guys," Hazel said smiling at Hern, Tristram and Hayden.

"Hey yourself, long time no see," Hayden said grinning.

"Yeah, apparently I've been invisible for the past few days, nobody seems to have seen me."

Hayden grinned at his vampire friend, "I didn't think invisibility was on your list of superpowers."

"I didn't know either, next thing I'll be developing spider sense."

"You don't already have it?" Truth asked. "No wait actually that might have just been the dream I had the other night."

Hayden laughed, "Hey was I in it? Did I have any special powers?"

Truth pondered this for a moment, "Let me see if I can remember. Hayden, I think you were the one in the pink leotard and tights."

"Really, are you sure?" he asked, "because pink is more Hern's colour."

Emma laughed as Hern punched Hayden lightly on the shoulder.

"Okay," Hazel said laughing, "I think we've had enough of the comedy stylings of Truth and whoever feels like joining in for one day."

"Too true, I've run out of material anyway," Truth agreed.

"So guys," Hazel said seriously, "Midir Boyce, any thoughts."

"Plenty," Fiachra replied with a strained smile, "but mostly of a homicidal nature."

"How the hell did he manage to get into town?" Hazel asked, "and more importantly why aren't the elders kicking him out on his butt?"

"I don't know," Fiachra answered truthfully, "Stella thinks it might be that he knows too much or something but I really have no idea." His hazel eyes clouded over slightly, "I guess I'll be having a long chat with Dad tonight."

"Hands up who's glad they won't be at Fiachra's house tonight," Hayden remarked lightly.

Fiachra grinned as six hands went up around the table.

The conversation continued pretty much revolved around Midir Boyce and how he was and why he was in Glenalta. The theories ranged from blackmail to kidnapping and murder though Fiachra was adamant that the elders wouldn't let him in without good reason and wouldn't let him kill anyone.

Emma had to agree with Fiachra but who was to say if the elders knew his real motives or not, maybe he had convinced them he wasn't going to do anything when he really was but then the elders weren't that gullible. Emma was really confused.

"Okay," Tristram said eventually, "lets just agree that Glenalta is just a step on his plan for world domination and change the subject."

That brought about a lull in the conversation during which Emma noticed how dark the sky had become and realised how late it was.

"You guys," she said, "I got to go, my parents will be expecting me home."

"Why? What time is it?" Truth asked, then after Fiachra showed her his watch exclaimed, "Yikes, my parents will be going mental."

"Truth. I'm sorry to have to be the one to tell you this but your parents went mental a long time ago," Fiachra said in his most compassionate voice. "How else would you explain your name?"

"Okay," Truth corrected herself, "my parents will be even more mental that usual and what's wrong with my name."

Fiachra grinned sheepishly, "Did I say there was something wrong with your name?" he asked innocently.

Truth just glared at him. 

"It's just unusual there's nothing wrong with it," he said.

"Hmmm," Truth replied unconvinced, "you leaving now too Em?" she asked.

"Yup," Emma replied, "see you lot tomorrow, Fiachra I'll bring you a shovel so you can try and dig yourself out of the hole you just put yourself in. Hazel I guess we'll see you when we see you."

Hazel grinned, "Not if I see you first."

Emma did not relish the thought of walking home on her own. She and Truth had parted ways outside the coffee shop. Now she was on the outskirts of town and completely alone. It gave here an eerie feeling like anything could be out there in the approaching darkness, that anything could be following her, there could be anything out there in the darkness watching her.

She'd felt like that before but now it felt more probable, more real that ever before. She wondered if it was the arrival of Midir Boyce that caused the amplification of those feelings or if it was just because she was feeling them now in the present. Either way Emma got the feeling that things were going to be changing, maybe even she was changing and nothing would be the same ever again. 


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: The Night World is the property of L 

Disclaimer: The Night World is the property of L.J. Smith.

Part 4.

Midir Boyce lounged lazily on a bench and glared at some little first year sending her scurrying in the opposite direction. He laughed mirthlessly to himself, scaring humans was pretty much the only entertainment he had these days. He had been in Glenalta for over a week now and everywhere he went he was met with hostility. 

The Night Worlders shunned him because of his past, the deeds he'd done and because they were afraid, afraid he'd do the same to them he supposed. The humans kept clear of him too. He didn't really know why but every time he tried to break into one of their clichés he was met with resistance and even his attempts at conversation were shot down by short and terse answers, maybe they were afraid of him too even if they didn't know why.

He sighed; he'd never been a people person exactly, preferring his own company to that of most but it would have been nice to have someone he could talk to occasionally. It would be nice to have a friend he admitted to himself reluctantly. He gritted his teeth, things weren't going to be easy for him here but what could he have expected really, a welcome committee telling him how glad they were to have him in Glenalta. He laughed inwardly at the thought.

As he stretched his flat muscled body he noticed a group of people coming down the hall. They were a strange mixture of wolves, vampires, witches and humans. Midir didn't understand what had brought them together; they seemed a very unlikely grouping to him. Saying that to him it appeared that they were closer than any of the other groups at the school. Some of those who had shown most animosity to him were among them but he still felt a desire to be in the middle of them laughing and joking with them. Strange thoughts for someone who once had only thought of hunting and killing, the prey and the kill and the rather large pay pack he would receive at the end of it.

He stared brazenly at them as they passed him by and spotted the human girl from his accounting class glance furtively at him. A smile curled his lips, he wondered if she knew that he often scanned her mind during class. He couldn't really help it, their teacher was terminally boring and there was nothing else for him to do. Her thoughts were always entertaining and usually funny.

She was pretty he supposed, by human standards anyway. She had thick wavy auburn hair that skimmed her shoulders and deep midnight blue eyes. Her lips were wide and bottom heavy and he had to admit she had a nice smile. She seemed like someone he could like. He sighed; he'd got so desperate he was beginning to think of vermin as possible friends, what was wrong with him.

Emma was a few minutes early to her accounting class after lunch and she expected to find the classroom empty. Instead much to her annoyance Midir Boyce was already sitting at his desk. His dark moody presence in the class had begun as a minor distraction but was now a major irritation.

He glared angrily at her and spread himself across his chair pouting sulkily.

"What's wrong with you?" she snapped angrily. 

She was really not in the mood to deal with right then. Fiachra'd been in a pissy mood all week since his father had refused to tell him why Midir had been allowed refuge in Glenalta. Stella was becoming more and more withdrawn everyday and everyone was worried. They didn't all admit it but it was there, an underlying tension. Everyone was on edge and this had led to a lot of stupid bickering and it was all his fault.

"I have a problem," Midir told her.

"Nothing a good lobotomy wouldn't cure I'm sure," she replied before she could stop herself.

She tensed expecting some kind of abusive retort.

"Probably," he agreed giving her a half smile.

A very cute smile she thought then chastised herself, she was dealing with a dangerous killer or had she forgotten.

"Nothing you can't deal with, given your special talents," she said caustically.

Midir turned away abruptly. That was probably the longest and nicest conversation he'd had with someone beside the elders since he'd arrived in this Godforsaken town maybe he'd made a mistake coming here. The people here would never accept him but then he wouldn't be accepted in his old World either and at least the people here weren't trying to kill him, at least not yet anyway.

Emma didn't know how but yet again the conversation on the bus home had once again found it's way to Midir Boyce.

"I heard he was the one who got Yvette Audry, you know that renegade made vampire," Hayden said.

"Yeah but did you hear what he did to her?" Stella asked.

Emma hadn't and from the tone of Stella's voice she decided she didn't want to hear. She already had heard enough about Midir Boyce to supply her with enough nightmare material for the rest of her life.

Hayden nodded, "He's a heartless bastard."

"He had his removed at birth," Stella said.

"His what?" Emma asked lost for a moment.

"His heart," Stella told her.

"Oh," Emma said softly, "Can we talk about something else please? I'm sick of Midir Boyce."

When Emma got home she flung her bag into a corner angrily. If one more person said the words Midir Boyce to her she'd rip their head off. He was only one person, not even that he was half a person and okay scary assassin loose in town of renegades but enough already. He was not worth all the attention he was getting; he should just be shoved to the back of everyone's mind and ignored.

She banged pots and pans together getting her frustration out as she prepared dinner. Midir…*bang*…Boyce…*bang* …is…*bang* and …*bang*…obnoxious…*bang*… annoying…*bang*…murderous …*bang*…git…and I…*bang*…am not…*bang*…attracted to him.

Emma sighed angrily as the real cause of her anger broke the surface. She was made at herself because against her will and better judgement she found herself attracted to Midir. She didn't know how or why it had happened but it had and though she knew she'd never act on the attraction she was angry with herself for feeling it at all.

"Why couldn't he have just stayed where ever it is he was and save us all a lot of trouble," she said to herself.

Midir was lucky he wasn't there at that moment or she would probably have flung one of the saucepans at him, she smiled relishing the image. Well at least it was Friday, which meant she didn't have to worry about seeing him again for a few days.

Midir paced around his living room; he was bored, angry and frustrated. He hated being cooped up he wanted to be out doing something, anything. He had feed only hours before and now he had all this pent up energy he needed to release. It was Friday night there had to be something happening somewhere in town and if there was he'd find it he decided grabbing his jacket.

Emma left The Rising Moon with Hazel and Psyche, there was a DJ playing in one of the pubs and they'd decided to check it out. Hern and Hayden were following later and Clea and Nathan were going to meet them there.

Emma was really looking forward to it. She needed to relax and this seemed like a good way to do it along with taking Midir Boyce off everyone's mind. Who would have thought one person could have an adverse effect on so many.

When they entered the pub Emma felt all chance of her having a good night disappear as a certain vampire came into view.

"God he's everywhere," she muttered angrily, "has he nothing better to do with himself."

"Huh. Did you say something?" Psyche asked.

"No, no," Emma replied, "look there's Clea and Nathan."

Nathan and Clea were sitting at a small table at the back of the room. The girls had to make their way through the thronged and smoky room to get to them, which took a rather long time as they kept stopping to talk to the people they knew.

"Hey Emma," Emma's neighbour A ine called as they passed the table she was sitting at.

Emma cast a smile in the fair-haired witch's direction.

"Hey A ine," she replied loudly struggling to be heard over the DJ's music, "having a good time?"

"Oh yeah," A ine answered rolling her eyes, "but hey it's better than being at home watching Pat Kenny."

"That's true," Emma agreed. "Look I'd better go," she said watching the retreating backs of her friends. "I'll talk to you later."

"Sure later," A ine nodded, "have a good time."

Emma hurried after her friends wondering at the amount of people packed into the pub. There must really have been nothing on anywhere else it seemed like half the town were there and everyone from the secondary school. Was it really that surprising she wondered, it was Glenalta she was talking about hardly the entertainment capital of the world.

"Hi Clea," she said eventually reaching the table. "Hey college boy," she greeted Nathan, "how's college life treating you?"

"Pretty good," Nathan replied, "though considering I'm staying at home it doesn't make much of a difference."

Nathan was in his first year of a business course at college in the nearby city. He stayed at home and drove the fourteen miles every morning in his new car, an acquisition the whole groups was envious of. Nathan however was liberal with his time, vehicle and petrol and was always willing to take the others wherever they wanted, within reason of course.

"So how's sixth year?" he asked her.

"It's okay, fine really I think the teachers are more stressed than I am right now but ask me again in May."

Nathan smiled, "Sure thing."

Hern and Hayden joined them a few minutes later.

"Are we dancing or what?" Hern asked.

Emma glanced at the dance floor, which had been becoming steadily more crowded. It would definitely take her mind off things, Hazel and Clea were already standing and looking at her.

"Oh why not," she said letting them pull her up.

After being on the floor for almost an hour and a half Emma threw herself into the seat beside Nathan. She took a swig of the drink Hayden had got her and promptly had a coughing fit as if burned its way down her throat.

"Jesus Christ," she exclaimed, "what's in this?"

"A double vodka," Hayden told her with a mischievous grin.

"You could have a least warned me," she grumbled taking a safer sip from the glass.

"Well I couldn't in front of Nathan," Hayden explained, "you know he's against underage drinking, being a Garda's son and all."

Nathan smiled permissively, he was used to the good-natured teasing he got from the others over his father's job. It was at the stage now where he had heard every joke at least twice so he no longer took offence from it, not from his friends anyway.

Emma rolled her eyes, "Sure Hayden whatever."

Hayden just laughed and dragged her towards the dance floor.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: The Night World is the property of L.J. Smith.

Spoilers: None so far it is based on the Night World Series but I don't spoil any of the books, just the Night World concept really.

Author's Notes: Thanks to Mandy for reviewing, I know what you mean about the story starting slowly, this story really is a lot slower than Bound by Flame was and truthfully I don't like it as much as I did Bound by Flame, I don't know what it is. I think it's because I liked Des so much actually because I liked the characters in Bound so much, they're my favourite characters from any of the stories I've written. Anyway thank you so much for reviewing.

Part 5.

Emma sighed and stamped her feet as she waited for her mother to collect her. She wished she'd taken Hern or Hazel up on their offers to wait at one of their places, or even Nathan's offer of a lift home but her mother was already on her way. At least she hoped she was on her way.

Emma looked at her hands, which were turning blue and shoved them into her jacket pockets. It was too cold to be outside; she should have been at home wrapped in her lovely warm duvet sleeping peacefully.

"Nice thought," a voice said close behind her.

She turned swiftly and saw Midir Boyce with a cigarette between his lips and cupping a lighter to it.

"My thoughts," she snapped, "are none of your business. So keep out of them."

"Fine," he spat back, "but it wasn't my fault, you were projecting."

"I was not," Emma answered back, "I'm human, I don't project my thoughts."

"Well you did that one," he retorted blowing smoke in her direction.

"Do you mind," she snapped, "I'd rather not get lung cancer from your smoke thank you very much."

"Yeah well you didn't seem to mind in the pub."

"I had to put up with it in the pub but I don't have to put up with it from you. It's a disgusting habit anyway."

Emma didn't stop to think about why he made her so angry; she didn't stop to think period. She reached up to grab his cigarette but he was too quick for her. With his cat like reflexes he grabbed her hand before it was even halfway to his mouth.

Bam, contact and there it was, Emma's world was thrown into a mad spiral she couldn't control. Her vision blurred strangely, everything around her faded as Midir came into sharp focus. She could see everything about him much more clearly now; she could see the different shades of his hair and the grey flecks in the outer ring of his pupils. The shape of his nose and lips, she saw them as if she was seeing him for the first time and also as if she had always known them.

"What are you doing?" she whispered.

"I'm not doing anything," he replied in a similarly low voice.

"Well I'm hardly doing it," she retorted.

"Yeah, I know because you're a human and you don't do things like that."

She didn't know if it was his anger or what he'd said but somehow she was snapped back into the real world. She ripped her hand form his grasp.

"Midir," she said sweetly, "why don't you do the world a favour and take a very long walk off an extremely short cliff for yourself."

"Sweetheart," he replied equally as sweet, "why don't you kiss my ass."

"God, you are the singularly most annoying person I have ever met in my life."

Emma decided she'd finally stepped over the border between sanity and complete and utter craziness as she continued to argue with him. She had to be insane to pick a fight with a vampire and one who was an assassin at that.

"I'm really not in the mood for this," Midir said angrily.

"You and me both," Emma replied, "so why don't you leave and that will be that."

Midir dropped his cigarette and stomped it out, "you know that's the first sensible thing I've ever heard you say."

With that he turned and walked off down the street. As she watched him go Emma remembered what had happened between them only moments before.

"Hey," she yelled after him, "wait a minute. What did you do?"

He stopped and turned. "I told you," he sighed, "I didn't do anything."

"But then what was that?" she asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine," he replied giving her a weary half smile.

Emma gritted her teeth angrily, why did he have to be so goddamn annoying and enigmatic? Why didn't he just tell her what was going on? Was it too much to ask that he at least tell her what he was trying to do to her? It didn't matter anyway it hadn't worked; at least she hoped it hadn't worked. Ugh, she really hated that guy.

Midir slammed the door of his house angrily. That stupid vermin girl, what the hell had she tried to do to him. It had seemed like she was trying to spell him, maybe her witch friend had taught her one or something. Still as she so often pointed out, she was human she shouldn't have been able to use the spell even if she knew it. He kicked the wall in front of him, he really hated that girl.

Emma woke late on Saturday morning feeling very strange. As she blinked away the remnants of sleep from her eyes an image danced in front of them for a second and was gone. She knew the image was important and she should remember it but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't recall it.

She kicked her covers off angrily and crawled out of bed. She could already tell it was going to be one of those days and she wished earnestly that she could stay in bed with the covers pulled over her head. It was already past noon and she could hear her parents moving about downstairs.

"Well the dead arose and appeared to many," her father said when she came into the kitchen.

"Ha, ha," she said unenthusiastically.

"Someone got out of the wrong side of the bed this morning," her mother remarked.

"I can only get out of one side of my bed," Emma retorted snappishly, "the other sides against the wall."

Her parents exchanged glances.

"Are you going to be in this mood all day?" her father asked.

"Probably," Emma admitted pouring herself a bowl of corn flakes.

"I think I'll work in the garden today," her father said pointedly.

Emma shook her head and smiled despite herself.

"So what are you doing today?" her mother asked.

Nothing," Emma replied, "I might do some homework."

"What you mean," her mother corrected, "is that you're going to do nothing but if I ask you to do some work you'll tell me you're busy with homework."

"Pretty much," Emma agreed smiling.

"Well at least she's in a better mood," her dad pointed out.

Emma left her parents in the kitchen talking about someone her mother worked with. She hadn't really been paying attention but at least she had gotten out of her bad mood a little. She flicked on the television in the sitting room and threw herself on the couch preparing to spend the day in hedonistic pursuits; then there would be less chance of her getting back into a bad mood.

Emma's mom called into the sitting room on her way out grocery shopping. "Is there anything you want me to get for you?" she asked.

"Nah, nothing specific. Though some chocolate would be nice, chocolate is always nice."

"We'll see," her mother smiled, "Dad's gone to Clancys' he should be back soon."

"Okay," Emma said, "see you later."

"Hang out the clothes in the washing machine when they're done," her mother called as she left the house.

Emma was half asleep watching some old, crappy repeat when the doorbell rang. She groaned loudly and pulled herself up. She hoped whoever it was wouldn't stay long, sure she was in a better mood than when she got up but she wasn't in that good a mood. 

She opened the door and almost fell over in shock. Midir Boyce stood before her pushing dark hair out of his eyes and looking at her almost shyly.

"What the hell?" she exclaimed.

"Okay wait," he said quickly, "before you scream or slam the door in my face just let me explain okay."

"Why? Why should I let you explain anything? You come to my house without an invitation and expect me to let you in though you know I know who you are and what you've done. I'd have to be crazy."

"I know," he replied, some emotion passing through his eyes, for a moment she thought it might be pain. "I know and you would have to be crazy but I'm still asking. I want, I need a chance."

"I must be crazy," Emma said moving away from the doorway.

Midir stepped past her and for some reason having him so close to her did something to her. She could feel herself react to his presence and she didn't like it; he should have disgusted her but he didn't. God he was so handsome, too handsome.

"It's about yesterday," he began looking nervous.

He looked really cute when he was nervous Emma decided, cute and young. The thought exasperated and annoyed her immensely.

"What about yesterday?" she snapped.

"That thing that happened when we touched; I think I know what it was. I'm not sure but I have an idea."

"Yeah so what? What was it?"

"I need to be sure," he said softly.

"And how would you be sure?" she asked gently.

"Like this," he told her moving towards her.

His fingertips brushed lightly against her cheek. Emma could feel heat radiate through her from his touch. She didn't know what was happening but she really didn't like it.

She didn't know what to do, she felt so conflicted. Her head was telling her to get away from him, to get him out of her house, it reminded her of all he had done, of how afraid of him her friends were. On the other hand her heart said to go to him, to give herself to him completely. Her heart, soul, her being longed for her to accept whatever was happening and to accept him.

Emma knew that if it were Truth or Psyche in her place they would follow their hearts without question or if it was cool, logical, unemotional Hazel she would go with her head. She on the other hand didn't know which to listen to. She had always tried never to be ruled by her heart or head alone; she tried to listen to both when she made a decision but now they were telling her to do two opposite things and she couldn't choose.

"It's okay," he said softly, "if I were you I wouldn't be too happy about being soulmates with me either."

"Soulmates?" she asked, "What do you mean? What's that?"

"You don't know?" he sounded surprised as if this was the last thing he was expecting. "I could hear your thoughts, I assumed you could hear mine. That's what the connection's supposed to do, it's supposed to merge us."

Emma hadn't a clue what he was talking about; he sounded like he was talking to himself and about six cans short of a six pack.

"Maybe it's because you don't want me or maybe I'm blocking you because I don't want you to know, because I don't want you to see that."

Emma wove her hands in his face to get his attention. "What are you talking about? What's soulmates? Why should I be able to hear your thoughts?"

Midir looked at her, "This is going to take some explaining."

"Well start explaining," she ordered angrily folding her arms across her chest.

"The Soulmate Principle is an idea in the Night World that there is only one person in the world for everyone and when you find that person you recognise them immediately and."

"Wait," Emma interrupted, "you mean that you think that we're that, that you're the only person in the world meant for me, that we're supposed to be together, to love each other?"

Emma glared at him, she was so angry she could hardly speak. How dare he be so presumptuous? How dare he even suggest such a thing? How dare he try to manipulate her with such a lie? The worst thing was she wasn't sure it was a lie.

She sighed frustratedly, she felt so angry and upset. Supposedly she had just found her other half, her one and only, she should have been bursting with joy or happiness pr something. It couldn't be true; she couldn't be soulmates with him, a professional killer, a murderer. And yet she couldn't be sure, it could be true but she didn't love him, she'd never love someone like him, she despised him.

"I know it's hard to believe, I'm not sure I believe it myself. I mean I never believed in it before but then I never believed in this place before either."

"This place?" Emma asked relieved at the change of subject however temporary.

"Glenalta," he replied, "I always thought this place was a myth." He was leaning against the worktop now looking at her. "Can I try something?" he asked.

Emma glared at him; she'd already been more than accommodating to him, too accommodating. She'd let him in her house, let him touch her, she'd already let him do too much.

"I don't," she began as he covered the space between them. "Think," she continued as he placed his hand on her waist. Then he cut off the rest of her sentence with a kiss. 

Emma was taken completely by surprise, she hadn't been expecting that, or had she? She wasn't sure. Anyhow now his lips were upon hers and she felt happy, contented. She was floating in a golden haze and Midir was with her there too. As she looked at him she saw a glint of silver in all that gold. She focused on it trying to make out what it was. As she gazed at it, it became clearer and clearer, until finally she could see it a silver cord binding them together, connecting them soul to soul. It was thrumming gently, emitting a sweet soft tune that pierced her soul.

"Emma," Midir said softly.

Emma was startled; she could hear Midir's voice and also feel his emotions as he spoke.

"So this is what you meant about hearing each others thoughts?" she asked.

"Sort of," he replied, "not exactly."

Emma felt the golden haze around them fade and found herself in a small bedroom.

"Where am I?" she asked.

"My mind I think," Midir said uncertainly looking as confused as she felt.

"This is your room?"

"It was when I was younger," he told her.

"Is this one of the things you didn't want me to see?"

"No, I didn't want you to see what I've done," he replied.

"The people you've killed you mean. It doesn't matter I already know about all you've done."

"I know," he said softly, "and you hate me for it."

He sounded so upset, so heartbroken Emma found herself feeling sorry for him, then stopped herself, he was a murderer he didn't deserve pity.

"You hardly know me why should it matter what I think of you?" she snapped angrily.

"Because we're soulmates," he snapped back, "we're supposed to love each other to be together forever."

Emma snorted, "You think I buy that, you think I believe you care about love and soulmates? I'm not stupid."

Midir grabbed her shoulders roughly. Emma found it strange that they had physical forms and could perform such actions in his mind but she didn't have time to wonder at it as Midir shook her and began an angry tirade.

"You say I don't know anything about you, you obviously know even less about me. You think you know what I've done, why I'm here, you don't know the first thing about me. You don't know how I've tried to change, how I've tried to make up for what I've done in the past. You don't know how much finding someone who should love me unconditionally means to me when I was convinced no one would ever care for me. You don't know what it's like to be alone."

Emma was blown away by the emotions that she felt coming from Midir; they overwhelmed her, anger, shame, hurt, loneliness and fear. He was right she didn't know; she didn't understand why he'd done what he'd done, why he was trying to change now. She glanced at him sideways, obviously the force of his emotion had surprised him too.

She moved towards him and he pulled away like a stricken dear. Emma almost laughed, here she was actually trying to comfort Midir Boyce and he was afraid of her.

"I'm sorry," she said softly not even knowing what she was apologising for.

"They stayed like that, looking at each other for what seemed like hours. A heavy silence hung between them. Emma wrapped her arms around herself, instead of helping her clear things up this was only helping to confuse her more. Midir wasn't what she thought he was she didn't know what he was but maybe she should try and find out.

"You're really trying to change?" she asked him.

"Yes," he replied and she could feel the truth in what he said his desire and conviction to change.

"I," she began and stopped, she didn't know exactly how to but this. "I don't think I'm in love with you," she said softly.

"I'm not in love with you either," he told her, "but maybe with time. Maybe if we get to know each other and see what the soulmate link brings."

"Maybe," Emma replied unsurely.

"I'd like to try if you would," he told her.

Emma paused to consider this.

"I would," she answered feeling more than slightly out of her mind.

"That's okay," he said, "it just 'cos you're in mine."

Emma laughed and then felt herself drift slowly away from him and back to her own mine. She opened her eyes and found that her head was resting on his shoulder and her arms were around his neck. He opened his eyes slowly and smiled at her.

"Now that you are back in your own mind do you still want to try?" he asked her.

Emma looked up into his beautiful deep brown eyes and thought about his sweet smile and how much she admired his desire to change and the courage it must have taken him to do so. She tightened her arms around him.

"Oh yes," she whispered as she pressed her lips to his.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: The Night World is the property of L.J. Smith.

Spoilers: None so far it is based on the Night World Series but I don't spoil any of the books, just the Night World concept really.

Part 6.

When Emma got up on Monday morning she stared at her reflection in the mirror. She hadn't seen any of the others since she'd found out about her and Midir and she wondered if there was anyway to tell if someone had found their soulmate. If there was any change in appearance that would give it away, something that would make someone stand up and say yes you've definitely found your soulmate. She examined her appearance minutely, she didn't seem to look and different from two days ago but who knew what a witch could see.

Emma pulled on her uniform and began to brush her hair. As she ran her brush through her hair she thought about what had happened over the past two days. She and Midir had talked for a while, for a long while, on Saturday and had agreed to keep what was going on a secret for the time being; well more like she had asked and he had agreed. 

It wasn't that she wanted to deceive her friends or hide things from them but what choice did she have. They hated Midir and they wouldn't understand how she felt about him. She didn't hate him, she didn't love him either but maybe she was on her way to. She liked him a lot; he was intelligent and funny and quite sweet when he wanted to be and she had come to respect and admire him. There was no way her friends would understand that.

When Midir got on the bus he saw Emma sitting at the back with Stella and Hayden. He smiled at her and she smiled furtively back at him. He understood why she didn't want her friends to know about them if he was in her position he'd probably feel the same but it was still kind of upsetting. He grinned, Midir Boyce getting upset, he was sure a lot of people wouldn't believe that possible; most people wouldn't believe him capable of any emotion.

He glanced back at Emma trying to make sure no one saw him. He had felt so alone here until he discovered their connection. He'd felt like he didn't belong anywhere; the people of Glenalta didn't accept him and he couldn't and wouldn't return to his old life but now he had Emma and he belonged with her. He was falling for her and he thought that maybe the same was happening to her. He hoped so; he wanted her to love him, he needed her to love him; he needed to know he was capable of being loved.

Emma saw Midir looking at her and hoped the others didn't notice. He was sitting beside he window and sunlight was playing on his hair bringing out red highlights.

Stella grinned at her, "Earth to Emma, come in Emma."

"Huh," Emma said looking towards her.

Stella laughed, "You were miles away, what were you thinking about?"

Emma blushed beetroot, "Nothing, I wasn't thinking about anything."

Stella raised her eyebrows sceptically, "Sure."

Emma wished she could tell Stella the truth; tell her that she had been thinking about Midir but she couldn't. Stella was the one who distrusted Midir most; she was the one who would be most upset when she found out about it. None of her friends were going to be happy about it; they'd probably all hate her, which was why she wanted to keep it quiet at least until she knew better what was going on and how she felt about Midir.

So for the most part of the say she and Midir avoided each other as much as they could. Occasionally they would make eye contact or smile slightly but that was about it. Emma found herself longing for school to be over so they could talk, so she could spend some time with him. This soulmate thing sure worked fast, she was already beginning to miss him when he wasn't around, she was quickly reaching a point where she needed to have him around.

All day Midir did his best to hide his feelings for Emma. It was the least he could do; she was his soulmate, if she didn't feel ready to admit that to her friends who was he to argue with that. Okay, sure he felt a little hurt but he understood and Emma was already drowning in enough guilt without him adding to it. She felt guilty for deceiving her friends and for denying him. She hadn't told him this she didn't have to he could feel it. He wanted to comfort her to try and help ease that guilt a little but he never got a chance to be alone with her. That was until he found her in the empty accounting room waiting for the rest of the class and teacher to arrive.

"Hey," he greeted her softly.

"Hey," she replied with a slow, sad smile.

"You okay Emma?" he asked already knowing she wasn't.

She bit her lip and looked up at him, "No not really."

He put his arms around her and hugged her fiercely to him. Emma felt Midir's arms wrap around her, felt his solid, comforting warmth. She buried her face in his chest trying to fight back the tears she felt welling up in her eyes.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, "I'm so sorry. I wish I was someone your friends could like."

Emma had been wishing something similar just moments before but now in his arms, feeling his breath on her skin and the connection opening between them she didn't care about anything or anyone else.

He stroked the top of her head gently. "We'll work something out," he told her, "I don't know what or how but we will."

Emma looked up, "I'm not so sure but thanks." Then after a pause added, "I'd never have pegged you as an optimist."

"What can I say," Midir replied with a slight grin, "I have many hidden depths."

Emma smiled, "Thanks for cheering me up."

"Did I?" Midir asked brushing his fingers through her hair.

"Yip, you did."

"Good. What do I get in return though?" 

Emma listened to see if she could hear someone coming then said, "This," and pressed her lips to his.

Midir was slightly worried as they kissed. It was so easy to lose themselves in each other, to lose track of time and forget where they were. That was why he tried to keep alert while they kissed, that was how he spotted the silhouette in the window. He broke the embrace quickly.

"Did you see that?" he asked Emma.

"What?" she inquired urgently, looking around.

"I thought I saw someone in the window, a shadow."

"Do you think the saw us?"

"I don't know. I don't even know if I saw someone."

"Then lets not worry about it," Emma replied squeezing his hand.

Midir hugged her again and then they separated as they heard the approach of the rest of their class.

Accounting was boring as usual, their teacher Mr. Kelly gave them a question to do and then left the room to do something or other. Emma finished the question quickly and then gazed into space, daydreaming. Mostly she daydreamed about Midir, she wondered if he'd really seen someone and if he had who was it and had they seen her and Midir together? Well if they had it would be all over the school by the end of next class but then at least she wouldn't have to tell the others but did she really want them to find out from someone else?

"Hey Emma," Truth yelled up the corridor as Emma was on her way from accounting to French. "Wait up."

"Hey Truth," Emma said as the girl caught up with her.

Emma felt a little strange having a normal conversation with Truth. She felt a little uncomfortable, a little sad and a lot guilty, if Truth had known what she'd been doing not long before, if she knew Emma had been kissing Midir would she want to talk to her. If she knew would she even want to be friends with Emma anymore.

"Emma, what's wrong?" Truth asked concerned.

"Nothing, nothing. I'm fine," Emma replied.

"Liar," Truth said lightly thought her lips twisted into a concerned line.

Emma could feel tears welling up in her eyes again. She hated this, she hated keeping things from her friends, she hated lying to them but what else could she do.

"Emma," Truth exclaimed, "Emma don't cry, please don't cry. What's wrong? Tell me."

Emma took a deep breath and fought back the tears clearing her vision.

"Nothing's wrong Truth. Really," she lied hating herself. "I'm just in one of those moods."

Truth's eyes were full of concern. "If you say so," she replied but her tone said I don't believe you but I'm not going to force you to tell me.

"So did you do the French homework?" Emma asked trying to change the subject.

"Yeah, I mean I tried to. I hate French comprehensions."

As she pulled her books from her locker at the end of school Emma found a note that had been shoved through the slit at the bottom. It was from Midir.

Emma, I'd like to see you, why don't you come to my house tonight.

He'd written directions to his house and that was it. Emma thought about it, she wanted to see him too and she wanted to see where he lived. He'd been to her house it was only fair that she should see his.

She shoved the note into her pocket and threw her bag over her back. Then she hurried outside afraid that she would miss her bus. She was heading out the door when Clea nabbed her.

"Hey Em, there you are. Some of us are going to Hern's, you want to come?"

"Not today Clea maybe tomorrow."

"Sure," Clea said smiling, "no prob."

Emma smiled too, she was glad that Clea hadn't demanded an explanation or been disappointed or anything but then Clea was pretty laid back that way.

Neither Stella nor Hayden was on the bus home so Emma sat with Aine, her neighbour. Emma liked the younger girl a lot, she was talkative and funny and always seemed to know everything that was going on around town. Today however Aine was quiet and cold towards Emma and she wondered what she'd done wrong.

"Aine is anything wrong? Have I done something?" She asked.

"Oh no," Aine replied, "you haven't done anything."

"But you're upset with me," Emma said softly.

"I'm not, really I'm not," Aine replied and proceeded to spend the rest of the journey regaling Emma with the gossip from the weekend.

It was when she got home that Emma began to consider the logistics of going to Midir's house, like how would she get there and how would she get home. She could walk there but that would probably mean having to walk home alone in the dark. She could walk there and get her parents to collect her but then they'd want to know what she'd been doing there and she wasn't exactly ready to explain Midir to them, so she had a dilemma.

After eating something and changing her clothes Emma decided to walk to Midir's and see how things went from there. Glad to have finally made a decision she changed out of her uniform and looked at the directions Midir had given her. She knew the house pretty well; it was on the outskirts of town about a 20-minute walk from her place maybe more.

She set out humming happily and caught herself. Why should she be so happy just going to see Midir? The truth dawned on her slowly she had it bad. Midir was a really nice guy and even without the soulmate connection she would have liked him if she'd ever gotten to know him properly, which was highly unlikely. 

It was because of the soulmate link she had gotten to know him, to see him as he really was, it was because of the soulmate link she cared so much about him. She worried about that, that maybe the feelings were artificial, created by the link. She didn't think that was it though, the link was there because they had such feelings for each other, it was always going to happen, it had been destined since the day they were born if they met each other they were supposed to love each other, the fates had deemed it so. She was glad they had met that they were two of the few lucky ones who did. She was happy to be with him, happy he was hers and she was his.

When she got to the door for the first time in days she wasn't confused or conflicted. She just felt happy and at peace with herself and the universe. Midir opened the door and smile at her.

"Hey, I though it was you. Well then it could hardly be anyone else."

Emma felt bad for him, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," he said with a half smile.

Emma still felt bad for him so she threw her arms around him and hugged him tight. He closed his arms around her and held her tightly to him. He held her so close she could hear his heartbeat. She put her fingers to his soft cotton shirt feeling the flutter of movement deep in his chest.

"So you do have a heart," she said softly.

"It would appear so," he said into her hair.

She smiled up at him and he bent his head and brushed his lips against hers. Emma wound her arms around his neck kissing back and found herself lost within the golden haze for a while.

"Maybe you should come inside," Midir said eventually, "anyone could see us, plus it's a little cold."

"You're a vampire you don't feel the cold," she said smiling.

"But you do Em," he said using the affectionate shortening of her name for the first time surprising and delighting her.

He took her hand and led her into the living room

"Welcome to my humble abode," he said softly.

Emma's jaw almost hit the floor when she saw the room; humble was certainly not the word. The house itself was large but the room was massive with a wooden floor and light green walls. He had every electronic entertainment device she could think of and more. 

"You're trying to impress me with your ill-gotten gains," she said.

"Is it working? Are you impressed? Do you like?" he asked with a shy, sweet smile.

"Yes it's nice," she said slowly.

"But?" he asked softly.

"It's nothing," Emma replied looking away.

"It's something," he said a sad look creeping over his face. "I know what it is and it's okay."

"You know," she said sceptically. 

"Yeah, it's cause you know where the money for all this came from," he said softly turning away.

"You were very good a what you did," Emma said.

"Yes," he replied gruffly.

Emma could sense how upset he was; she could feel it washing over her in waves. It made her want to comfort him so much.

"I'm sorry," he said softly.

Emma moved towards him and wrapped her arms around him.

"You always seem to be apologising to me," she said, "and you don't need to. It is okay, it really is. You've changed, you're not like that anymore."

"Have I? Sometimes I'm not so sure."

"Midir," she said sternly, "you're the one who's supposed to be convincing me you've changed not."

He smiled wryly in reply, "I know it's just sometimes I feel bad about using the ill-gotten gains."

"Then don't use them," Emma said exasperatedly, "look either you keep the stuff and the money or you don't, I don't care. You did what you did, you got paid for it nothing will change that but it doesn't matter to me; I care about what you're doing now and who you are now."

"But what I did that will always be a part of who I am. Are you sure you can accept that?"

Emma threw her hands in the air, "How many times do I have to say it? I want to be with you, I care about you and I accept you for who you are. Is that why you asked me here? For some kind of validation session?"

Midir's lips curled upwards in a way that produced butterflies in Emma's stomach.

"Oh no," he said in a soft seductive voice, "this is what I invited you here for."

His bottom lip brushed gently against hers then he pulled her close to him, his lips descending on hers with a passion and intensity she'd never thought possible and all the time the soulmate connection hummed between them. Emma was swept up in a tide of emotion and sensation that spiralled higher and higher taking her with it. Desire and longing filled her, some of it her own and some his; they were bound so closely she found it hard to distinguish between her emotions and his.

"I love you Em," Midir murmured against her lips.

"I love you too," she replied automatically.

Then she realised it was true, she loved him. It didn't matter that they'd just meet or that her friends considered him dangerous, all that mattered was what she knew about him and how she felt about him.

"Really?" he asked.

"Truly," she replied.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: The Night World is the property of L.J. Smith.

Spoilers: None so far it is based on the Night World Series but I don't spoil any of the books, just the Night World concept really.

Author's Notes: Thank you again to Mandy for reviewing even though I know you don't like this story as much as Bound by Flame. I am still working on the sequel and Des and Gwern are going to be in it after all.

Part 7.

Emma curled up in her bed burying herself in her duvet. Midir had walked her home a few hours earlier. Her parents had just assumed she'd been at The Rising Moon or one of the girls' houses so she didn't have any explaining to do. Unfortunately she did still have homework; it was extremely hard to concentrate on algebra and sonnets when you'd just found your soulmate and fallen in love. Suddenly all that school stuff didn't seem so important. She finally got it done even though it took her almost an hour longer than usual.

Now curled up in the warmth of her bed Emma was worried. When she was with Midir things became clear, singular and nothing else seemed to matter but the truth was she was in love with someone who was hated by the people she cared about. They wouldn't understand how she felt about him and she couldn't hide if from them forever, it wasn't fair to them and it wasn't fair to him. What the hell was she going to do?

She really didn't want to have to choose between Midir and her friends; she couldn't do that but then maybe she wouldn't be given a choice. Maybe her friends would just stop talking to her as soon as they found out; maybe Midir would get sick of waiting for her to tell people and leave her. She had to make a choice like it or not and she was definitely not liking it.

At the end of school the next day Emma dragged herself on to the bus feeling horrible. She felt drained and basically worn out. She wanted to throw herself into the seat beside Midir and let him comfort her but she couldn't. She couldn't tell her friends what was wrong with her so they couldn't help her. 

She didn't know what she was going to do. She felt torn and tired as if she hadn't slept in days. Finding your soulmate was supposed to be something great, something amazing and it was; it truly was but not being able to share that with her friends; to suddenly have to hide this huge part of her life from them; it wasn't right, it just wasn't. She felt like she was betraying them and betraying Midir; she was in love with him and she couldn't even admit that to her closest friends.

"What am I going to do?" She thought to herself desperately, "what can I do?"

Maybe if she explained to her friends, if she explained how he was trying so hard to change and how she felt about him maybe they would understand, maybe they'd accept him.

Stella and Hayden were chatting beside her oblivious to her predicament. It was only when she heard Stella say Midir's name that she began to pay attention to what they were saying.

"He's been here over a week and he hasn't done anything," Hayden said, "maybe Truth was right; maybe he has reformed. People can change."

Emma felt relief and hope creep in to her maybe they would understand, maybe they could all be friends.

Then Stella grimaced, "Yeah sure, the leopard has changed his spots. People like Midir Boyce don't change," she said bitterly, "they can't. He's probably just lulling us into a false sense of security or maybe he's spying, trying to find out what the person he's after knows."

Stella's words ate into Emma and stripped away the tiny spark of hope she had just felt. Maybe Stella was right, maybe Midir had seen too much of the dark side to change. She suddenly felt even more confused than she had earlier, she wasn't sure of anything anymore. That which she had been sure of, namely Midir, suddenly didn't seem so clear anymore. She got off the bus feeling twice as bad as she had when she got on.

Midir was running, running with all the speed and power he had. He ran through the fields in long loping strides crushing the grass beneath his feet. He ran as only a vampire could, not caring who saw, caring only about getting to Emma.

He hadn't heard exactly what her friends had said to her but he had sensed her reaction. He had felt what she felt, whatever they had said was making her question him and question their connection. It was even making her question herself and her love for him. He didn't want her feeling like that, he would make things right, whatever it took he'd make things right.

"Midir," Emma said and he could hear the surprise in her voice.

She looked extremely pale and tired and her blue eyes looked sad and almost lifeless.

"Emma are you okay? On the bus I," he paused to work out how to put it, "I felt what you were feeling. How upset you were."

Emma sighed deeply and leaned against the doorframe, "Midir I just got home. I'm not sure I'm up to this right now. I'm tired and I'm not even sure how I feel."

Midir placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a tiny smile.

"Whatever you want Em. I can stay or go; we don't have to talk about what's going on. We don't have to talk."

Emma shook her head and grinned, then punched him lightly on the shoulder.

"Is that all you ever think about?" she asked.

"Yup," he replied with a smile, "Hey at least I made you smile."

"What are we going to do?" Emma asked seriously.

Midir ran a hand through his thick, dark brown hair, a pensive look on his face.

"Do you still feel the same way about me? Do you still want to be with me or did whatever Stella said change that?" he asked. "What did she say by the way?"

Emma looked at him with apprehension in her eyes. It was clear she didn't want to tell him exactly what Stella had said and even clearer that she believed it a little.

"She said "People like Midir Boyce don't change"."

"And you believe that? You believe I can't change?"

Emma watched Midir as she tried to answer his question. He was looking at her so openly with his emotions showing clearly on his face; she wondered did he know how vulnerable he looked right then. Vulnerable and innocent, that was how he looked, Midir Boyce vampire assassin was looking at her with raw need in his eyes, with pure emotion on his face, he looked like a little boy, a little lost child looking for solace, she had never loved him more.

"I don't know," she replied softly feeling a need to be gently with him. "Maybe you've seen to much of the dark side to change, I don't know. All I know is that I'm sick of this; I'm sick of being torn between you and them. I'm sick of listening to you say one thing and believing it until they say something that makes me question you. I'm sick of lying to them and I'm sick of having to hide how I feel about you. I love you; I want to be able to tell my friends that. I want to be able to talk to you in front of other people, to sit beside you on the bus. I don't want to have to choose between you and them."

Midir could feel Emma's confused emotions as the words tumbled out. She was sad and angry and she felt cheated, cheated of a life where she could have love and her friends. He didn't know what to say to her; he couldn't say everything would be all right because he wasn't sure it would. He couldn't say her friends would understand because he was pretty sure they wouldn't, all he knew was that he loved her and wanted to be with her and that he would do anything for her.

Emma smiled sweetly at him when he told her this.

"I know," she replied, "I feel the same but it doesn't fix anything. I'm still lying to my friends. I'm still hiding how I feel about you."

"Then lets tell them," he suggested.

"Tell them," Emma exclaimed, "Are you crazy? Can you imagine how Stella or Fiachra would react to this? I can and believe me it's not pretty."

"We don't have to tell them all," Midir said slowly, struck by a sudden inspiration. "We could just tell one of them. It would be a start."

Emma smiled brightly; it was a good idea. It wasn't the perfect solution but there didn't seem to be one for this problem and to have one of her friends know, to be able to talk to one of them about what was going on; it would make things a million times better.

"That's great idea," she said.

"So who should it be?" Midir asked.

It should have been a difficult question, which of her friends to share this huge secret with? But it wasn't, she knew even before Midir had asked her. Truth, Truth was the only one she could tell, the only one who might understand. 

"Truth," she told Midir, "we should tell Truth."

"Yeah," Midir said softly, "yeah lets do it."

Emma had never felt more relieved in her life than when she and Midir arrived in Truth's yard. At last they were off the road where anyone could have seen them together. Well not together really, Midir had kept a discrete distance from her and walked through the fields a lot of the way.

A small grey kitten wound it's way around Emma's ankles and she could hear the high pitched yip of Truth's Mom's Lhasa Apso coming from inside as well as the deeper barks of the German Shepherd beside the door. Emma had always envied Truth the collection of animals that populated her family's farm.

She pressed the doorbell apprehensively wondering how she was going to explain everything to Truth, wondering how Truth would react. She was asking a lot of the girl and she wasn't sure how Truth would take it. Hell if the situation was reversed she wasn't sure how she'd take it. Midir hung back in the shadows, eyeing the large German Shepherd warily as it bristled and growled at him.

Truth's younger sister Charity opened the door. She smiled at Emma and yelled for her sister.

"Truth, Emma's here."

Truth appeared at the door a second later.

"Hey Em," she said and paused obviously waiting for Emma to fill the silence with a reason why she was there.

Emma was stumped; what the hell was she going to say. She was saved from having to say anything by the two dogs. The Lhasa Apso snuck out the door through Truth's legs and joined the German Shepherd in growling at Midir.

"Samson, Brandy. Stop that there's nothing there you silly dogs."

"Actually," Midir corrected stepping from the shadows, "there is."

Truth looked from Emma to Midir and back again, mouth open obviously trying to think of something to say and failing miserably."

"What's going on?" she blurted out eventually. "What's he doing here?"

"He's with me," Emma told her.

"And you lost your mind when?" Truth asked. "Because you know if you can remember where you had it last we can retrace your steps and maybe find it."

"I know this must seem crazy," Emma began.

"Seem crazy?" Truth exclaimed, "running around naked screaming "we've got to save the chickens" might seem crazy, this is positive insanity."

Emma grinned; she couldn't help it, how the hell Truth came up things like that even in the strangest situations was beyond her. She could see Midir biting his lip on a smile too.

"If we come in maybe we can explain," Emma suggested.

"Unless it involves being hit on the head by a large, hard object I'm not sure I'll believe it but lets hear it anyway."

She moved out of the doorway to let them in and as Midir stepped over the threshold she said, "I cannot believe I'm letting a killer vampire into my house. If Emma wasn't with you I'd have let the dogs eat you."

"Hmm, Pedigree Lamia. I think we could corner the market on dog food," Midir shot back.

Emma saw Truth's lips twitch a little and thought that maybe this wouldn't be as hard as she thought.

"Mercy and Charity are in the kitchen," Truth told them, "so we should go to the sitting room, I guess."

"Where's Faith?" Emma asked as they walked down the hall.

"She's helping Mom and Dad feed the cattle. Why?"

"Wait a minute, "Midir said with a look of more than slight amusement, "you've got three sisters and they're called Faith, Mercy and Charity and you're Truth."

"Yeah. You find something funny with that? My name amuses you? What is it a clown here for your amusement?" Truth replied in a serious voice.

Midir smiled and Truth couldn't help but grin back.

"I thought insanity wasn't contagious," she sighed throwing herself into an armchair.

"There certainly seems to be an epidemic of it going around Glenalta, starting with whoever named you and your sisters," Midir replied.

"Why does everyone question my father's mental health? First Fiachra, now you, there is nothing wrong with my name or the girls' names. And you buster, whatever's going on I'm sure you need to be on my good side and you're not getting off to a good start."

Emma sat on the sofa beside Midir listening to the banter that passed between him and Truth. A smile spread over her face, they were getting along, sure they were swapping insults but it was in a friendly way, she was already feeling a hell of a lot better about things.

"So," Truth said, "what's going on? What's he doing here? Besides insulting me and my parents that is."

Emma took a deep breath, " Okay I don't know how to say this so I'm just going to blurt it out. Midir is my soulmate."

Emma kept her eyes on Truth's face trying to gage her reaction. So many different emotions that ran over her face it was almost comical.

"Oh Emma that's great. No wait that's terrible, no it's great. Oh crap," she exclaimed throwing her hands in the air.

Emma couldn't help but laugh at Truth's reaction even though she felt like crying. Truth laughed too and hurried over to give her friend a hug.

"So which is it?" Truth asked, "How do you feel about it?"

"It's good," Emma told her.

"I'm glad," Truth replied hugging her again. "How about you?" she asked Midir, "How do you feel about it?"

Midir thought about it for a minute then smiled, "I feel happy, it's alarming how happy I feel."

"He's got your sense of humour," Truth told Emma.

"My sense of humour," Emma exclaimed, "It's more like yours."

"Is not," Truth replied.

"Is too," Emma answered back and both girls began to giggle.

Midir looked at them as if they'd both just hopped on a table beginning to do the hula while singing YMCA.

"Women," he said eventually.

"Just when I was beginning to like him, he goes and says something like that," Truth said. "Oh God, what about the others?" she asked, "Do they know?"

Emma shook her head; "You're the only one we've told."

"Oh God," Truth said again, "how the hell are they going to react?"

Emma sighed, "I don't know; I've been worrying about that too. I felt so guilty about hiding this from everyone; I hated lying to all you guys that's why we told you."

"What to draw me into the deceit? So I'd have to lie too?" Truth snapped angrily.

Truth saw Emma's stricken face and felt terrible.

"I'm sorry Em, that was mean. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it, not really. It's been a lot to take in; it's confusing. I mean Midir you seem like a nice guy, funny and Emma obviously cares about you. Not exactly."

"The psycho killer your friends made me out to be," Midir finished for her.

Truth nodded.

"Well I never was crazy," Midir told her, "But I did kill."

"Truth I know this is a lot to take in and if you don't want to be friends with me anymore," Emma began wearily.

"What?" Truth interrupted loudly, "Emma we'll always be friends; that's not even a question. I'm just worried about the others reactions."

Emma felt relief flood through her, "You mean that?"

"Of course," Truth replied, "now do you guys have a plan for telling the others?"


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: The Night World is the property of L.J. Smith.

Spoilers: None so far it is based on the Night World Series but I don't spoil any of the books, just the Night World concept really

Part 8

"Suddenly I know exactly how you feel," Truth said to Emma as she sunk into the bench beside her at lunchtime.

"About what?" Emma asked.

"About Midir," she whispered, "we had class together earlier and he looked so lonely sitting on his own. I was going to sit with him but then I remembered."

"Hard isn't it," Emma said.

"Must be worse for you," Truth said seriously, "I mean I'm not in love with him. Though he is kind of cute and funny."

"Hey," Emma exclaimed and they both giggled.

"I'm so glad you know," Emma told her softly, "I knew you were the right one to tell."

"It's not like I'm not the only one who would understand," Truth argued, "Clea or Nathan or Trist or even Psyche would probably have understood."

"Clea might have," Emma agreed, "but Nathan and Tristram are guys; I'm not sure I could tell them. And Psyche's a witch and she knows what Midir did."

"I know what Midir did," Truth replied, "though I guess it is different for the others. Even my first reaction wasn't one of acceptance more of fear and thinking you'd lost your mind."

"That's how I felt too," Emma told her.

"But," Truth continued, "I could see how you felt about him and I knew if you trust him then he's trustworthy. If you believe in him I believe in him; he's changed."

Emma smiled at her friend she had definitely made the right choice.

"How could I be anything but happy for you? You found your soulmate. I can't even imagine how that must feel and if he's your soulmate he has to have good in him," Truth finished.

"Thanks Truth, it's comforting to know that when this all gets out I'll still have at least one friend."

Truth looked slightly conflicted; she was biting down on her lip and twisting a ring on her finger.

"Em, I'm not sure you want to hear this but I don't think you're giving the others enough credit. They're not like that; they're not going to stop being friends with you over this."

"I'm not so sure. You know what it's like for most of them, Hayden, Stella, Hazel and even Psyche a little, they're in hiding; they're all running from something and to them Midir represents that something, that shadow presence that's always there. Even though they're safe here they don't really believe it. Remember what Stella said, "If Midir Boyce can come here who else can." Midir embodies all their greatest fears. His coming here eroded a lot of their confidence in their safety here. I don't think they're going to accept him just like that."

Truth sighed, "Don't you sometimes wish we lived somewhere normal?"

"Sure but if we did we wouldn't have the friends we have and I'd never have met Midir."

Truth grinned, "Good to see you looking on the bright side of life."

"Have to," Emma replied, "if I looked at the other side I'd probably have a break down or something."

The arrival of Hern and Tristram ended their conversation but Emma felt ten times better. Having someone to talk to helped a lot, which made her feel even worse for Midir who had no one to talk to. He had her but that wasn't what she meant maybe he could talk to Truth, they seemed to get on sort of.

"Did you guys hear?" Psyche asked as she and Stella joined the group.

"Did we hear what?" Truth asked.

"About Gwen and Liam?" Psyche said.

"No what about them?" Emma inquired dutifully knowing Psyche was dying to share whatever gossip it was she had.

"Mr. Kelly caught them kissing in his room," Psyche told them drawing out each word for added effect.

"That room seems to be seeing an awful lot of action," Stella said with an acidity in her voice which scared Emma as she remembered her and Midir's own encounter there and the shadow in the window.

"Yeah," Hern agreed, "wasn't that where Rachael and John got caught too?"

"Well it's their own fault," Truth said, "if they're kissing in a classroom what else do they expect but to get caught."

"Yeah," Tristram said with a grin, "they could at least have had the decency to hide in the hedge or the trees or something, that would be so much more modest than kissing in a classroom."

"If a lot less comfortable," Hern added.

"And how exactly would you know that?" Truth asked sweetly.

Hern wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, "Wouldn't you like to know."

Emma didn't even hear the rest of the conversation she was too busy watching Stella trying to work out if she had meant Midir and her. She didn't seem to be acting any different towards Emma but somehow that didn't give Emma much comfort.

*********************************************************** 

Truth giggled nervously and looked around the table. 

"This feels like a summit meeting," she said, "I feel like someone should be taking the minutes."

Emma gave a small smile, "It does have a very serious feel about it."

"It is serious," Midir said, "isn't it?"

"It's serious," Truth agreed, "we've got to think of a way to tell the others and keep them from losing the head over it."

"It's going to be difficult," Emma said.

"How difficult exactly?" Truth asked. "I mean how big a big bad were you?"

"The biggest," Midir replied, "I've done terrible things, things I can never atone for even if I spend my long life trying. I killed without mercy or compassion, not because I liked it, I took no pleasure in the taking of a life. It was a job; I killed for money, which is almost worse. I never even saw them as people just a paycheque and I never even felt guilty. I was cold clinical and detached. I think that that was worse than some psycho killing people at least they can blame insanity, I have no excuse. I was just evil I guess."

"You're not evil," both girls said at the same time, which drew quick smiles from both.

"I wouldn't be so sure," Midir said softly.

"Look," Truth rushed loudly and angrily, "I have no reason to trust you only that Emma does. I have no reason to believe in you only that Emma does. I hardly know you but I know you are not evil, not because you're Emma's soulmate, which means you must have good in you but because of the choices you've made. 

It's our deeds and our choices that make us who and what we are. Sure you've done terrible things in the past, things you may never make up for but you chose to stop; you chose to try and make up for those deeds even though it seemed unlikely you would. You chose to change; you chose not to be evil. You said it yourself you didn't take pleasure in the kill; you didn't see them as people but now that you do you feel guilty about what you did. Right?"

"Right," Midir answered.

"See you're not evil. Look I only invited you in last night because I trust Emma; I only listened to what you had to say because of my friendship with Emma. The only reason I tried to be cordial to you; the only reason I accepted you was Emma but the more time I spend with you, the more I'd like to have you as a friend, because of who you are not who your soulmate is and believe me if you were evil I wouldn't feel that way."

Midir visibly relaxed beside Emma. Emma smiled at him, somehow Truth had known exactly what to say, known exactly what Midir needed to hear. That someone other than she believed he wasn't evil, believed that he had good in him and would like him as a friend. Emma knew that meant a lot to him, acceptance from someone other than his soulmate who was pretty much had to love and accept him.

"Thanks Truth," Midir said, "I needed to hear that."

"Anytime," Truth said with a smile. 

"If only the others will react like this," Emma said thoughtfully.

"Maybe they will," Truth responded, "you won't know until you tell them. I was more understanding than you expected maybe they will be too."

"I don't think so Truth. I wish it would be like that but I think you were somewhat of an anomaly," Emma told her.

"Thanks, I think," Truth replied. "She meant that in a good way right?" she asked Midir.

"I think so," Midir said with a shrug, "maybe you should ask her."

"I meant it in a good way," Emma clarified for her.

"That's okay so. Anyway maybe we should get down to business; do either of you have any ideas of how to go about telling people?" Truth asked.

They both shrugged with blank stares on their faces.

"Well how about who we should tell first?" she asked.

"What's this we stuff?" Emma asked.

"I thought you might want some moral support," Truth snapped. "And we're in this together now because when the others find out I knew about this, that I've been spending time with the two of you I don't think they're going to be too happy with me."

"Oh Truth, I'm sorry. I never thought of that," Emma exclaimed. "I didn't mean for this to happen to you."

"It's okay Em. Just remember this next time I need a favour."

"It better be a pretty big favour," Midir said.

Truth smiled, "When you've lived in Glenalta long enough you'll realise that there is no other kind of favour."

"I don't think you'll ever need a favour big enough to make up for this," Emma said softly.

"Probably not," Truth replied with a grin, "but I'll definitely have fun trying to come up with one."

"I was just thinking, "Midir said breaking into the conversation, "do we have to tell everyone?"

"Yes," both girls said in unison.

"It was just a thought," he muttered.

"I know," Emma said softly with a smile, "but if we don't tell them now they'll find out some other way and it will be a hundred times worse."

Emma put her head down on Midir's shoulder and sighed. He put his arm around her waist and pulled her close.

"Maybe I should give you guys some time alone," Truth offered with a grin.

Emma smiled, "Nah, I think we need to sort this out now. The longer we leave it the harder it will be."

"So who should we tell?" Midir asked.

"I don't know," Emma replied, "maybe Clea."

"I think I see a pattern her," Truth announced, "you want to tell all the humans first."

"I guess," Emma replied, "it's just I think the humans, as you put it, will be more understanding about this than the Night Worlders."

"You're probably right," Truth agreed, "but I think you should tell Psyche."

"Psyche?" Emma asked, "Why?"

"Lots of reasons," Truth told her, "I think you need to tell one of the 'Night Worlders' and Psyche's the most likely to understand. Her mom's a Daybreaker if anyone is going to understand about soulmates and people changing she should. And you can use her reaction to gage how the others will react."

"Okay," Emma replied, "lets do it."

"That was a hell of a lot easier than I expected," Truth said.

"I know," Emma said, "but I just, I just want to get this over with."

"When do you want to do this?" Truth asked.

"How about now?" Midir suggested, "There is no time like the present."

"Only problem is," Truth said, "Psyche lives all the way out in the woods, well at the edge of the woods. How're we supposed to get there?"

"I could drive us," Midir said.

"In what? We don't have a car," Emma replied.

"Yeah we do. Well I do," Midir told her.

"You do? How some I didn't know that?" Emma asked.

"You don't know everything Emma," Truth said.

"No just 99% of everything," Emma replied brightly.

"So are we doing this or what?" Midir asked.

"We're doing this," Emma answered.

As they pulled into Psyche's yard Emma felt fear begin to gnaw at her stomach. She wasn't so sure Psyche's reaction would be a good one. There was no way she'd get two good reactions, she just wasn't that lucky.

When she was alone with Truth and Midir it was easy to believe things would be okay, easy to believe everyone would be as understanding as Truth. Now as she stared at the small bungalow that was Psyche's home a wave of apprehension and realisation hit her.

She remembered what exactly it was she was asking Psyche to do. She was asking her to trust an assassin, to invite into her home someone that had worked and killed for the people who had been chasing her mother for years. She was asking her to put her mother in danger. Emma knew Midir wasn't a danger to Psyche's mom but Psyche didn't. She couldn't ask Psyche to do this; she couldn't expect Psyche to do this, what was she thinking.

"We have to go," she told the others, "I can't do this. Let's go please."

"Em, I know it's hard but we're here now. We can do this," Midir said softly.

"Yeah Em, don't give up now, you're almost there," Truth said

trying to give encouragement.

Emma didn't need encouragement; she needed to get out of there. Just as she was about to tell the others this, the outside lights came on. Someone had heard them pull up, there was no backing out now.

Emma's hands were shaking as they stood on the porch. Truth rang the doorbell and they waited. Emma's stomach had tied itself into about fifty intricate knots and her palms were sweating; she felt sick. 

Psyche opened the door looking, as she always did to Emma, like a nymph or some other nature spirit. She was tall and slender with long hair that was the rich brown colour of chestnuts and deep reddish brown eyes that seemed to hold the knowledge of all nature's mysteries.

"Hey guys," she began and then saw Midir.

Emma watched as fear and anger spread across her friend's face.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Psyche asked angrily.

"Did you bring him here? How could you? How dare you? Truth, I thought you'd know better than that, I thought you cared about my mother. Why did you do this? Why is he here?"

"Psyche Midir isn't going to hurt your mom," Truth told her, "We're here because of Midir and Emma."

"Midir and Emma," Psyche said with disbelief evident in her voice.

She looked at Emma whose hand was now entwined with Midir's. Psyche shook her head gently and tears appeared in her eyes.

"Emma what are you doing with him? Don't you know who he is? How could you bring him here? Why would you do this? You know how we all feel about him. You know what my mother's been through, why would you bring someone like him to her home?"

Emma began to cry too, "Psyche I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have."

"If you know why did you do it? Why are you with him? Have you any idea the kind of danger you've put my mother in? Do you even care? I want you to leave now, all of you."

Emma turned to leave pulling Midir after her. Truth just stood there with disbelief all over her face.

"Emma," Psyche called, "one last thing. People like him carry evil around with him if you're with him expect bad things to happen, you too Truth."

When she finished saying this Psyche slammed the door. 

In the car Truth turned to Emma and she was crying too. "I'm sorry Em. This is all my fault; I never thought she'd react like that."

"It's not your fault Truth. You're the person least to blame in all this. Please don't blame yourself."

"But I should have known, I should have realised she'd feel like this. I'm supposed to be her friend; I should know her better than this. You knew though, you wanted to go back and I forced you to tell her."

"Truth this is not your fault. It's no one's fault," Emma replied, "Okay. Let's just go now please."

She pressed Midir's hand and asked, "Are you okay? You're really quiet."

"I'm okay, just worried about you," he told her.

"I wonder what she meant," Truth said softly, "when she said "expect bad things to happen"."

"Me too," Emma whispered, "me too."


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: The Night World is the property of L.J. Smith.

Spoilers: None so far it is based on the Night World Series but I don't spoil any of the books, just the Night World concept really

Part 9.

Emma sat opposite Midir in his sitting room. They had dropped Truth home and by silent, mutual consent decided to come to his place. Neither of them had spoken since Truth had left them and Emma wondered which of them would break the crushing silence first. 

They'd been alone together the day before but since then a lot seemed to have changed. Before she'd felt utterly at ease and comfortable with Midir but now she felt incredibly uneasy and she wasn't even sure why. There was no reason for the change it had just happened. Midir sighed and Emma could feel his frustration. He felt the same way she did and he didn't know what to do about it either.

"I'm sorry," he said eventually.

"For what?" Emma asked.

"For the way Psyche reacted," he replied.

"It was her reaction not yours," Emma told him, "you don't have to apologise for it."

"But I feel I should."

"If you're going to keep apologising to me for other people's reactions you're going to be saying sorry constantly."

"I know but it was sort of my fault, she was reacting to me; you might've lost a friend because of me."

Emma sighed, "Midir I already told Truth this is no one's fault and I meant it. I'm not going to blame you for Psyche's reaction; I might as well blame Truth for convincing me to tell Psyche with her over optimism. It's not your fault."

Midir let out a deep breath and some tension seemed to leave him. He smiled at her looking incredibly handsome and endearing. Emma felt some of the tension leave her too and she felt a lot more comfortable. She smiled back at him.

"So I'm still your sweetie?" he asked.

Emma laughed, "My sweetie? I've never used that term but yeah, I guess you are."

Midir smiled widely but his face darkened quickly as his lips formed a frown.

"She will tell the others you know," he said, "how do you feel about that?"

"I don't know. I'd rather have told them myself but if Psyche's reaction is anything to go by then I'd rather not be Emma-on-the-spot when they find out. So maybe it's for the best."

Midir opened his mouth to say something but Emma cut across him.

"If you say you're sorry again I cannot be held accountable for my actions."

Midir grinned but in a low, cheerless voice asked, "Do you think Psyche was threatening you, at the end?"

"If you'd asked me that question last week I'd have said no, definitely no but now."

"You're not so sure," Midir finished for her.

"I'm not. I don't think she was, I mean she's a witch, I don't think she'd ever harm anyone intentionally but I'm not sure. I'm not sure of anything anymore."

Midir covered the distance between them in two strides and wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm."

Emma looked up and pressed her lips to his.

"No more sorries remember."

Midir smiled gently, "If it was a threat what do you thinks she'd do?"

Emma shrugged, "I don't know. Can't we just assume it wasn't for the moment."

"For the moment," Midir agreed.

It started simply. Truth shivered.

"God, it's cold," she said to Emma.

"I don't feel it," Emma replied.

"Really? I'm freezing maybe it's just me."

"Maybe," Emma replied, "you could be getting the flu or something."

"I hope not," Truth said, "I hate being sick."

"Everyone does," Emma said.

"What about hypochondriacs?" Truth asked.

"Always have to contradict me don't you," Emma said smiling.

"Nah, only occasionally," Truth replied.

Emma smiled again; it was the last thing she'd expected to be doing today but then she hadn't seen Psyche yet. She was sure that when she arrived smiling would be the last thing she'd be doing."

"So where's Midir today?" Truth asked.

"I don't know," Emma told her, "he wasn't on the bus."

"Maybe he's driving," Truth said and shivered again.

"You really are cold," Emma exclaimed. "Would you like to go sit by the radiator?"

Truth nodded, "Yeah."

As Emma and Truth walked down the corridor Emma felt slightly dizzy for a moment.

"Emma look out," Truth shouted as Emma tripped over a large bag.

She managed to stop herself falling but she still felt really embarrassed.

"You okay?" Truth asked.

"Yeah unless you can die of shame," Emma replied. "I didn't see the bag at all."

"Well that's what happens if you don't look where you're going," Truth chastised her with a wide grin.

"You enjoy it when I make a fool of myself way too much," Emma said sternly but grinned too.

"Truth," Emma said softly as they sat on the bench beside the radiator.

"Uh oh, this sounds serious," Truth said with a smile.

"It is," Emma replied.

Truth stopped smiling and looked at Emma with a composed and attentive face.

"Okay what?" she asked.

"I want you to know what you're getting yourself into. Midir and I have talked and thought about it a lot but I'm not sure you have to the same extent." 

Emma stopped and took a deep breath. 

"Truth, the way things are going it looks like I'm not going to have any friends left when they all find out about Midir. I never wanted to have to choose between Midir and you guys; I wanted to have both in my life. It doesn't look like I'm even going to have a choice anymore but you do. I don't want you to lose all your friends because of me."

Truth opened her mouth to say something but Emma cut in, "Just let me finish okay."

Truth nodded and shut up.

Emma sighed and continued, "You have no reason to do this Truth, I at least have Midir. What are you going to get out of it? Nothing, I don't want to be the cause of you losing all your loneliness; I don't want to cause you any pain. I never wanted to hurt anyone but it's too late for that now but I can keep you from being hurt."

Truth shook her head lightly, "Do I get to talk now?"

Emma nodded.

"Okay. What do I get out of it? Why do I have to get anything out of it? But if you want to know what I get, I get you and Midir as friends. And you're right I didn't think it out as well as you and Midir did and obviously I was to optimistic, I didn't see the reality. I guess I thought too much of our friends to think they'd throw away the friendship we have because of something like this. I expected Psyche to understand and she wasn't. I guess I need to reassess my view of the world and our friends but I'm not going to stop being your friend and don't you dare even ask me to."

Emma smiled though there were tears in her eyes.

"Oh Truth," she whispered.

She hugged her friend and drew back in surprise. Her friend's skin was cool to the touch. Emma pressed her hand to Truth's cheek.

"You're really cold. Do you feel okay?"

"Yeah, I feel fine," Truth replied, "just a little cold."

"Okay," Emma said though she was still concerned about her friend.

Midir arrived into the first class late. Emma was sitting with Truth near the front of the class and all her other friends in the class sat at the exact opposite end so she felt safe in smiling at him. 

She assumed Psyche had taken the time that morning to tell them all. The glares she was getting from Fiachra and Hern seemed to confirm this. Worse than any of the angry glares were the looks in Hayden and Stella's eyes, they looked betrayed and she supposed they had been a little. 

Emma was not looking forward to having to confront them between classes, which was why she dawdled as much as possible after class. The classroom was practically empty when she finished packing her bag. It was then that she felt Truth's cold hand on her arm.

"I don't feel so good, Em," Truth said in a weak voice.

Emma turned to look at her friend who had become extremely pale.

"You don't look so good," Emma replied, "come on I'm taking you to the office. You need to go home."

Truth nodded, " Yeah but bathroom first, I feel sick."

Emma sat in the office with Truth who seemed to get visibly worse as time passed. Emma was really worried, she was so pale and weak and nauseous and it had come on so suddenly. She was holding the class of water the school secretary had given to Truth because Truth's hands were shaking so much she couldn't hold it herself.

Mrs. Nolan the secretary came into them.

"Truth neither of your parents are home but one of the teacher's could drop you home if you wanted or to the doctor."

"I'd like to go home please," Truth said shakily.

"Do you have a way to get in?" Mrs. Nolan asked.

Truth nodded, "I have a key."

"Okay, but I'm not sure you should be left alone."

"I could stay with her," Emma suggested.

Mrs. Nolan looked doubtful, "I don't think you should miss anymore classes."

"Can't Emma stay with me please," Truth asked, "I don't want to be alone."

Truth looked really pitiful and Emma could understand why Mrs. Nolan relented. The only trouble was that Truth wasn't putting it on, she really was that bad.

"Let me try and organise a lift home for you both," Mrs. Nolan said and left again.

Truth dropped her head on Emma's shoulder. Partly for comfort, partly because it was taking too much strength to hold it up.

"I'm so cold," she whispered. "What's wrong with me?"

"I don't know," Emma replied. "I don't know."

Mrs. Nolan returned looking visibly distracted and apologetic. All the teachers who had driven to work were in class and the principle was at a meeting. Mrs. Nolan herself couldn't drive.

"You'll have to wait," Mrs. Nolan said regretfully.

"But look at her, she needs to be in bed now," Emma argued.

"I know but what can you do?" Mrs. Nolan said softly.

"Wait, I know," Emma said struck with sudden inspiration. "One of the boys drove today, he could drive us home."

Mrs. Nolan shook her head. "There's already two of you out of class, I can't let another student miss classes because of this."

In the uncomfortable, hostile silence that followed Truth began to cough in a horrible, hacking, dry way. Mrs. Nolan sighed.

"Okay," she said, "but if anyone asks I knew nothing about it."

"Thanks Mrs. Nolan. You're the best," Emma exclaimed. "Truth I'm going to get Midir and he'll take us home okay."

Truth nodded and smiled.

Emma stood in front of the door to Midir's class and wondered what everyone would think about her calling Midir from class. She realised that she didn't really care, let them think what they wanted as long as Truth got home and felt better she didn't care. She knocked loudly and walked into the room.

"Excuse me Mr. Collins. Midir Boyce is wanted in the office."

Mr. Collins looked up at her like he didn't understand what she was saying and made some sort of gesture with his hands.

"Alright Mr. Boyce go with Emma here."

Emma hurried from the room impatient to get back to Truth.

"Emma," Midir called jogging to catch up with her, "Wait up."

She stopped for a moment for him to reach her and then hurried on again.

"Emma, what's up?" he asked.

"It's Truth," she told him, "she's sick. I convinced Mrs. Nolan to let you take her home. You did drive didn't you."

"Yeah I drove," Midir replied.

When Midir saw Truth sitting alone in the office he suddenly understood Emma's urgency.

"You look like shit," he told her.

Truth smiled, "Good. Glad to know I look like I feel."

Emma grinned wickedly, "If you think this is bad you should have heard her earlier in the bathroom."

"Thanks Emma really, I wanted everyone to know that," Truth said with a smile.

"You seem a little better," Emma said, "I mean your talking in more than 3 or 4 word sentences."

"Believe me I don't feel any better," Truth replied, "Are you taking me home?" she asked Midir hopefully.

"I am," Midir answered then added, "I love being the knight in shining armour."

"Emma rolled her eyes, "Come on," she said tugging on his arm, "we should get going."

On the drive to Truth's house the Emma told Midir about how Truth had felt cold and how suddenly she had felt sick. She wasn't sure but Midir's face seemed to become angry as she told the story. He didn't say anything but Emma knew that there was something more going on here, something that he knew but wasn't telling her.

"I'm going to stay with her," she told him when he dropped them at the house.

"Okay," he replied, "I'll come back at lunch break to see how she's doing, maybe she'll be better."

That was when Emma knew for sure that he wasn't telling her something; there was a knowledge in his voice when he said the last part, a promise even.

"Midir," she said, "what's going on?"

"Nothing you should worry about," he told her.

"Midir my friend is over there really, really sick if there is something going on it is something I should worry about."

"It's okay Em, I'll sort it out and if what I think is going on is going on then Truth will be better soon."

He drove off without telling her anymore and she snarled in frustration. Why was he being so secretive, why wouldn't he tell her what was going on? He made it sound like someone or something was doing this to Truth, if that was true, if someone was hurting Truth for some reason Emma swore she would make them pay.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: The Night World is the property of L.J. Smith.

Part 10.

Midir drove like a demon down the small country roads. He was so angry he could feel it boiling in the pit of his stomach. The minute he'd heard what happened he'd known. He'd had a suspicion when he first saw Truth and Emma's description of what happened confirmed it. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel, when he saw that witch she was in big trouble.

He got back to school just as the class was finishing and he returned to Mr. Collins's class room to get his bag. Psyche hadn't been in that class but if he remembered correctly she was in his next class. That meant he wouldn't have to go looking for her, she would come to him or more correctly come to class but he'd be waiting there for her.

Emma climbed the stairs with Truth and helped her get into bed. She was getting worse and Emma felt totally useless; she had no idea what to do.

"I'll go make you a cup of tea," she said to Truth.

Truth smiled weakly back, "Thanks Em."

Midir stood outside the door of the classroom, Psyche wasn't inside, which meant he'd be able to grab her before she got into class. He'd find out exactly what she'd done and he'd make her fix it.

He saw her come in the door at the bottom of the corridor with two other girls, talking and laughing. He began to lose his nerve a little but then he remembered how Truth had looked, how all the colour was drained from her skin and the pain in her eyes. He didn't care who saw what was about to happen, he couldn't let her hurt someone like that.

She looked at him nervously as she got closer. He could see the fear in her eyes. She hunched up and tried to stay as far away from him as possible as she walked to the door. Midir waited until the two girls she was with had gone into class then he grabbed her arm and shoved her against the lockers roughly.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" he snarled.

"What?" she snapped back her brown eyes flashing angrily.

Midir had to admire her bravery, she was afraid of him he knew that; he could smell that but she was still willing to stand up to him.

"Why are you doing this to Truth?" he said angrily.

"Truth?" Psyche asked concerned, "What's wrong with Truth?"

"You put a spell on her," he snapped back.

Psyche looked genuinely mystified. Midir felt a little doubt creep into him. She really didn't seem to know what he was talking about, maybe she hadn't done it. No, it had to be her, she was the only one who had known, she was the only one who could have done it.

"What are you talking about? What do you mean there is a spell on her? I didn't put any spell on Truth. Where is she anyway? I haven't seen her since first class."

"She's at home sick because you put a spell on her."

"I didn't put a spell on her," Psyche cried, "Jesus, how many times do I have to say it."

Psyche's exclamation of innocence attracted the teacher's attention. Midir grabbed her and pulled her away to an empty room.

"You really didn't do it," he said.

"Of course not. I'd never do anything to hurt Truth. I might be angry with her right now but she's my best friend; I'd never hurt her. I might try to hurt you but never Truth or Emma."

"Well someone is trying to hurt her," Midir told her finally convinced she was being sincere.

"Who?" Psyche demanded angrily.

"Well if I thought it was you up until a minute ago then I sure as hell don't know," Midir snapped in frustration.

"Sorry," Psyche said meekly and then in a sudden change of mood said with authority, "Take me to her."

Emma climbed the stairs carefully with the cup of tea. Truth lay shivering in the bed. Emma couldn't understand how she could still be cold when she was under a couple of blankets and a duvet. It wasn't natural, which meant it must be supernatural and that meant, oh hell. It must be a spell or something but who would do that to Truth and why? She couldn't understand why anyone would want to hurt Truth. It made her wonder what Midir had meant when he said she would be better soon, maybe he was going to get a witch or something to help.

"How do you feel?" she asked Truth.

"Like shit," Truth replied.

"Poor baby," Emma said sympathetically. "I'm sure we'll find something to help you, first why don't you try this tea."

"Thanks," Truth said sitting up and taking the cup of tea into her hands and clutching it tightly taking what heat she could from it.

Emma sat in a chair beside Truth's bed wringing her hands anxiously. She needed to be doing something but she didn't know what to do. Sitting here doing nothing was annoying the hell out of her especially with Truth feeling so sick.

"Do you need a painkiller or anything?" she asked.

Truth shook her head, "I'm not really in pain. It's hard to describe really, I do feel sick and really, really cold but I'm not in any real pain, it's not like I have a headache or sore throat or something. It's really, really weird actually. I'm not sure how to describe it."

"Would you like more blankets or something then?" 

"Yeah actually that would be good. They're in the hot press," Truth replied.

"Okay, great I'll go get some," Emma said delighted at being able to do something.

As Emma was dragging blankets from the press she heard a car pull up. She went to the front door assuming it was Truth's mom or dad and wondering how to explain what was going on to them. Instead she saw Psyche and Midir getting out of the car and talking to each other, the weird thing was that that wasn't the strangest thing she'd seen all day.

"Thank God you're here," she exclaimed, all the animosity of the night before forgotten. "Maybe you can do something to help."

Midir followed the two girls up the stairs and was completely unprepared for what he saw there. Truth looked worse, something he hadn't thought possible. There were huge dark circles under her eyes, she was shivering uncontrollably and she just looked terribly wretched. At least he was a little prepared for it having seen her earlier but he couldn't imagine how Psyche was feeling right then.

"Jeez Psyche, who died?" Truth said seeing the look on her friend's face. "Oh hell I'm not going to die am I?"

Psyche didn't know whether to burst into tears or laugh, if she didn't look so terrible she would have hit Truth a smack across the head.

"Can't you even be serious when you're sick?" Psyche asked.

"I was being serious," Truth replied, "you look like someone died so either someone did or someone's going to and I seem the most likely candidate for that."

"You're not going to die," Psyche told her, "but whoever did this to you will."

"What do you mean did this to me? It hardly seems fair to kill someone just 'cos they're contagious. Unless there's something you guys aren't telling me," Truth spluttered out as she began to cough.

"Here have a drink of water," Psyche said passing her a glass.

She turned to Emma and Midir who were standing nearby with their arms around each other. It made her feel angry to see them like that but right now there were more important things to worry about; she could yell at Emma later. 

"Do you guys think we should tell her?" she asked them.

"Of course you're going to tell me," Truth argued weakly from the bed.

"Tell her," Emma said with a smile, "she needs to rest and if we don't tell her she'll be giving out for an hour."

Psyche nodded and turned to Truth, "There's a spell on you."

"What do you mean a spell on me? What kind of spell? There are spells that can do this kind of thing?"

"Unfortunately yes," Psyche told her, "but most witches would never use them."

"So how do you get rid of it?" Midir asked.

"I don't," Psyche replied, "my Mom does."

"Your Mom," Midir said with a strange edge to his voice.

"Yes my Mom, you got a problem with that? You don't like Daybreakers or something? What am I thinking you are a Night World assassin being a bigot is probably a prerequisite of the job."

Midir gritted his teeth angrily; this witch was a major pain in the ass. 

"I have no problem with your mother," he replied, "but I have major issues with you."

"Guys could you stop for long enough to help Truth? As soon as she's better you can go about tearing strips off each other but 'til then can we have some sort of truce?" Emma asked.

"Okay," Psyche said, "but just 'til Truth is better."

"Alright," Midir agreed.

"Okay, now Psyche I think you should call your Mom, Truth wrap yourself up in these blankets and do not move from this bed and Midir, I don't know, try and find something useful to be doing."

The others followed her orders and Emma smiled, "This is great we have a plan. You'll be better in no time Truth."

Midir smiled a Emma's optimism; it was good to see she could still be optimistic after everything that had happened.

"And then we'll make a new plan for how to find who did this," Psyche added.

Midir nodded, much to his surprise he and Psyche agreed on something. They would find out who did this and they would make them sorry.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: The Night World is the property of L.J. Smith.

Part 11.

Psyche hung up the phone and returned to Truth's bedroom. She felt a lot better knowing her mom was on the way but she still wanted to talk to Truth alone. She knew her girl and she felt fairly confident that Truth wasn't being exactly truthful about how she was feeling. She could be wrong of course but the Truth she knew would not react quite so passively to what was going on and Psyche desperately wanted to know what was up.

Emma and Midir were sitting beside Truth's bed looking sympathetic and trying to help. Psyche had to get rid of them some how and she felt sure Emma would be reluctant to leave Truth. 

"Why don't you guys go downstairs and wait for my mom. She'll need someone to let her in and help her with her stuff," she suggested.

"You can do that can't you Midir," Emma said.

"Sure no problem," Midir replied with a smile.

Psyche sighed, time to try plan B.

"You know Truth's parents will be home soon and I don't think they'll be happy about finding a stranger alone in their house. And we're going to have to try and come up with some sort of explanation for them. Emma I think maybe you should go with Midir and maybe you can think of what to tell them too."

"Yeah, you're right Psyche; I didn't even think of that. I'm glad you're here," Emma told her smiling brightly.

"Finally," Psyche muttered when Emma and Midir eventually left the room.

"What are you up to?" Truth asked.

"I wanted some time alone with you," Psyche informed a very confused looking Truth. "And don't look at me like that. I know you're not telling the truth Truth."

"Truth Truth, that's funny," Truth said with a grin.

"No changing the subject," Psyche snapped. "How are you really feeling? And none of that, I'm not in pain; I'm fine with everything crap you've been feeding Emma. I wanted the truth."

"If I say you can't handle the truth are you going to hit me?" Truth asked.

"Hell yeah. Anyway that's not me that's Emma."

"I think Emma could handle it," Truth said softly, "I just don't want her to have to. She's been through way too much this last week or so, I don't want to add to that especially after today and the way everyone treated her."

"I'm not going to apologise for that Truth, she deserved it."

"She's your friend Psyche. I don't understand how you can treat a friend like that."

"We're not here to talk about me or Emma, we're here to talk about what's going on with you. How do you really feel?"

"I didn't lie exactly. I'm not in pain really, except when I cough and it feels like my lungs are being torn out with a hot poker, but other than that no pain. I'm also extraordinarily pissed off that someone would do this to me and I don't have the energy to be pissed off and that pisses me off even more. I mean I'm angry and I feel like throwing things and kicking things but I just don't have the strength to and so I just don't bother. I think I've worked out how Beth in Little Women was so great she just didn't have the strength to do all the screaming and yelling and violence she wanted to."

"Why didn't you say this stuff earlier?" Psyche asked.

"Because," Truth replied softly, "we both know why this happened to me. Emma and Midir know too and I'm sure they feel guilty as hell about it and I'm not going to make it worse by complaining to them about how terrible it is, that's what I've got you for."

"Truth," Psyche said giving her a hug, "sometimes you're too good for your own good."

"And sometimes I'm just stupid. Anyway I'm not good or anything like that, I'm just biding my time until I feel better then it's all coming out. The anger and all that good stuff, I'm not sure you'll want to be around for that." 

Psyche smiled, "Well that's the Truth I know. I was beginning to worry the spell and changed your personality to make you nice and sweet all of a suddenly."

"Ha, ha," Truth said softly, "no such luck."

Then she collapsed in a coughing fit. Psyche looked on helplessly as her friend's face contorted in pain. How the hell had Emma and Midir missed this, how could they believe her when she said she wasn't in pain when it was so obvious on her face? There's none so blind as they who will not see she supposed.

Midir looked on silently as Emma kicked the wall a couple of times taking out her frustration.

"This is all our fault," she said, "if it wasn't for us, none of this would be happening to Truth. If only we'd kept it hidden or something, she'd be fine now and none of this crap would have happened. Who would do this to her? Who?"

"I don't know," Midir said softly, "I really don't. I was so sure it was Psyche and now."

"Wait a minute," Emma cut him off, "you thought Psyche did this."

"Yeah," Midir replied.

"Why on earth would you think that?"

"Because of what happened last night," Midir told her.

"What happened last night? Psyche may have been angry with us but she would never do something like this, she's not capable of doing something like this to anyone, least of all Truth. I told you, Psyche would never harm anyone intentionally, I know her; she wouldn't do this."

"I know that now, but come on Emma you don't know Psyche would never harm anyone ever, you can't know that. However much you may want to believe in your friends you can never know everything they are capable of or everything they've done. I mean I'm your soulmate and you don't know everything about me."

"Well," Emma said with a smile, "I've got the time if you've got the crimes."

She saw the sad expression on Midir's face.

"Come on Midir that's not how I meant it. I just meant I want to know all about you and I'll make time to do that. We've got all the time in the world right?"

"Right," he said pulling her into his arms and kissing her, "I'm sorry this happened to Truth."

"I know you are," Emma replied, "and I know you're going to help us find who did it too."

"And then what?" Midir asked, "What do you think you're going to do to them when you do find out who's done it."

"I don't know," Emma said softly.

"Maybe you should think about it," he replied, "revenge might seem like a good idea now but in the long run I'm not so sure it's what you want."

"I'll think about it," Emma promised.

Psyche walked around Truth's bed tucking in blankets and puffing up pillows. Basically just keeping her hands busy, it helped her feel useful even though she wasn't really doing anything. She heard the crunch of gravel as a car pulled into Truth's drive and looked out the window.

"It's my mom," she told Truth, "I'll go down and bring her up. She'll know what to do, she's the best."

Truth smiled at the pride in her friend's voice. She wished she and her mother had the kind of relationship Psyche and her mom did. Truth loved her mom but what Psyche and her mom had was something different; they had something really special and Truth was envious of it. 

Truth didn't know if it had something to do with them being witches or just because Psyche's mom had brought her up on her own; they were really good friends and Psyche admired and loved her mother more that any other person in the world. Truth could definitely understand it, Psyche's mom was one of the nicest, strongest and most understanding people she knew and just knowing she was here actually made her feel a little better.

Emma opened the door and smiled brightly at Mrs. Ahern.

"Hello Emma," she said, "how's the patient."

"Not great," Emma told her, "but I'm sure you can change that."

Mrs. Ahern smiled widely, "It's wonderful to see such confidence in my abilities. Hopefully such confidence is merited."

Psyche came flying down the stairs at that moment.

"Hey Mom, is there anything I can do?"

"Sure Psyche, will you get the box from the back of the car for me?"

"Sure, I'm on it," Psyche said going out the door.

Emma led Mrs. Ahern into the kitchen where Midir was sitting absorbed in the floor tiles.

"Oh hello Midir, I didn't know you were here," Mrs. Ahern said cheerfully. 

Emma looked on with surprise, "I didn't know you knew each other."

"We've known each other for a while," Midir told her, "Mrs. Ahern was the one who organised it so I could come to Glenalta."

"What?" Psyche demanded from the door dropping the box that she was carrying. "What do you mean she organised it so you could come here? What does he mean Mom?"

"He means I arranged things here for him," Mrs. Ahern told Psyche.

"Why would you do something like that?" Psyche asked her voice rising in anger, "Why would you bring someone like him to Glenalta?"

"For the exact reasons the pack set this place up for in the first place," her mother replied, "because he was running from the Night World and needed someplace to hide and of course because Daybreak asked me to."

"What?" both Emma and Psyche exclaimed in surprise.

"Because Daybreak asked me to," Mrs. Ahern repeated for them, "now where's Truth? I'm not going leaving that poor girl to suffer just to answer stupid questions."

"She's upstairs," Midir told her, "I'll take you to her if you like."

"That would be great Midir since my daughter and Emma seem to be temporarily dumbstruck, thank you very much."

When Midir and Mrs. Ahern left the room the two girls just stared at each other, each wanting the other to clarify that they had indeed heard what they thought they'd heard.

"I don't believe it," Psyche said, "Midir Boyce and Daybreak. It's not possible, no way."

"Why didn't he tell me?" Emma said to herself.

"Why didn't she tell me?" Psyche added.

"Do you believe it?" Emma asked her.

"Do you believe it?" Psyche asked back.

"I don't know," they both replied at the same time.

"So," Mrs. Ahern said to Midir as they climbed the stairs, "Why are you here?"

"Well," Midir said and much to his disgust found himself blushing, "well Mrs. Ahern it's like this."

"Wait first of all Midir I've told you often enough, my name is Airmed and I want you to call me that okay."

"Okay," he replied then continued, "It's like this Emma and I are, well we're soulmates."

"Soulmates," Airmed said thoughtfully, "I heard they were making a come back. Jeez I make it sound like some old rock group or something. That's great Midir, I'm really happy for you and Emma. You needed to find someone nice especially when so many people here won't accept you. I take it Psyche and the others weren't too impressed."

"You take it correctly," Midir told her.

"I'll try and talk to her," Airmed said, "but I'm not promising anything. That girl is stubborn as Hera."

"You don't have to do that," Midir argued.

"I know but I want to so no arguing."

"Okay," Midir said as they walked into Truth's room.

Emma and Psyche were still trying to work out exactly what was going on when Midir came back down the stairs.

"Your mom wants you to help her," Midir told Psyche.

"Right," Psyche said leaving without question much to Midir's surprise.

He sat down beside Emma and put his arm around her. She snuggled into the crook of his arm and sighed happily.

"You should have told me," she told him.

"It didn't seem important," Midir replied.

"Not important that Daybreak organised you coming here? I consider it pretty important."

"Why? It doesn't change anything, I'm still the same person," he said.

"I know, I guess I just feel I should know stuff like that," Emma replied, "I'm supposed to know everything about you and sometimes I feel like I don't know a thing about you."

Midir quirked his lips slightly, "You don't know everything about me," he agreed, "but you do know a lot about me. I need my secrets Em everyone does, even you. Someday you will know all there is to know about me and it will be better that way, finding everything out gradually otherwise we'd get bored of each other way too quickly."

"I guess you're right," Emma said gently, "So do you think they can cure Truth?"

"Yeah I do," Midir replied, "and maybe when they're done Airmed might be able to give us and idea of who did this."

"I hope so," Emma said with a hard tinge to her voice.

"You still want revenge," Midir said softly and Emma couldn't help thinking he felt a little disappointed in her.

"No," she corrected, "I want justice and I will get it. Truth will get it."


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: The Night World is the property of L.J. Smith.

Spoilers: None so far it is based on the Night World Series but I don't spoil any of the books, just the Night World concept really

Part 12.

Psyche pursed her lips angrily as she came down the stairs. Emma and Midir were sitting together wrapped up in each other. Seeing them together made her extremely angry. She wasn't 100% sure where this anger came from. Maybe she was angry at Emma for betraying her friends by being with him, but then had she betrayed them. 

Maybe she was angry at Midir for being with Emma, for convincing her normally so stalwart friend to do something so senseless as to fall for an assassin, or because she couldn't believe Emma would just fall for someone like him and it made her suspicious of him and his motives and how the hell this had all happened. Maybe she was just angry at him for having come to Gleanalta at all and disturbing the fragile peace they had all found there. 

That was why she felt so angry with her mother right now. Her mother who had searched so long to find a place where she was safe and she was willing to risk that by bringing him here. Even worse she hadn't told Psyche about it, she hadn't trusted her enough.

Emma managed to take her attention away from Midir long enough to smile at Psyche and ask how Truth was.

"She's getting better, no thanks to you two," Psyche spat not caring about the hurt look in Emma's eyes and the guilt so clear on Midir's face.

"We thought it was better to leave it to you and your mom. We thought we'd get in the way," Emma replied untangling herself from Midir and getting up.

"That's not what I meant Emma and you know it," Psyche said angrily.

She no longer cared that Truth didn't want Emma feeling guilty, she no longer cared about anything except this anger and hurt that was boiling up inside her and all she wanted to do was make someone else feel the same.

"Yeah I do," Emma said with a voice laden with shame. "It's my fault, which is why I'm going to do everything I can to find who did this and make it right."

Psyche heard the grim determination in her friend's voice and knew that it was true; Emma was going to do whatever it took to make this right. It made her feel a little uneasy too; she couldn't remember Emma ever entertaining thoughts of revenge before. She felt that this might be changing Emma and though she wanted her to suffer a little for what she had done she didn't want anything too traumatic to happen; she didn't want this to change who Emma was.

"Does your mother have any idea who did this?" Emma asked.

"None," Psyche replied, "it's not like witches sign their spells Emma."

"I know," Emma snapped back finally getting mad. "I just thought she might be able to tell us who in Glenalta would be capable of doing such a spell."

"Oh," Psyche said sheepishly, "well she said that she didn't know anyone who knew the spell and she doesn't believe anyone she knows would use the spell even if they did know it."

"Your mom likes to believe the best of people," Midir said gently.

"You're proof off that," Psyche said with a hard voice.

"I guess I am," he replied.

"So," Emma interrupted, "does anyone have any ideas for how we're going to find this person?"

Psyche and Midir glanced at each other and they both shook their heads.

"Great," Emma remarked, "just great." 

Emma gazed out the window of Midir's car as he took her back to school. Truth was feeling a lot better and her parents had believed their explanation without question. Emma was pretty sure that Mrs. Ahern had had a hand in that. They still had no idea who had done this to Truth and that made Emma so mad she felt like hitting things and throwing things. 

It could have been anyone; it could have even been one of her friends. That was what made her angry most; the thought that someone she and Truth considered a friend could have done this. That was the problem with Glenalta everyone had so many secrets you never knew who you could trust, right now she didn't think she trusted anyone fully, except Midir and Truth. 

She didn't know what she was going to do, how she was going to make this right. There was so much she had to worry about, who had done this to Truth, the fact that her friends all hated her and she had just found her soulmate a week ago. Too much stuff was happening to her, she kind of felt like she was stuck in a bad, supernatural, soap opera or something. At least Midir and Psyche had declared a truce until they found out who had put the spell on Truth; that was something.

Psyche sat at the table eating her dinner; she was still angry with her mother and she was doing her best to ignore her.

"Psyche," her mother asked eventually, "how long is the silent treatment going to last?"

Psyche opened her mouth then shut it abruptly; if she was going to ignore her mom properly she was not going to break down at the first question.

"Come on Psyche. I only did what was right."

"What was right?" Psyche exploded. "What was right? Tell me what's right about bringing an assassin into our home? What's right about putting our friends in danger and even putting yourself in danger?"

"Psyche, I explained that. Midir isn't like that anymore; he's not an assassin anymore. If you knew why the Night World is after him, if you knew why Daybreak is protecting him you'd feel the same way I do about him. He's a good person Psyche, when the lines were drawn he chose the right side."

Psyche rolled her eyes, "yeah Mom sure. Goddess, I never would have believed you could be so naïve, so blind. People don't change just like that Mom; they don't become good just because they choose to be. You of all people should know that."

"And you of all people Psyche Ahern should know how hard it is for someone to make the decision to change. You of all people should be willing to give people another chance. Is that what you truly believe? That people can never change, what about your father?"

Psyche could hear the anger in her mother's voice and see it in her face.

"That's not what I'm saying Mom. I know Dad changed, he became a good man and more than anything I would have loved to have known him, but it was different. Circumstances were different; Dad was a far different man than Midir. You and he were soulmates, he changed because he loved you so much, because you showed him what good was."

"Your father changed because he wanted to change Psyche. He was a long way down the path of good before he met me; I just helped to move him along, just like Emma is helping Midir along. They're more like me and your father than you can imagine."

"They're nothing like you and Dad," Psyche argues. "Firstly Emma's a human and he's a vampire and you and Dad were witches and secondly they're not soulmates."

Psyche's Mom smiled a small, knowing smile that pissed the hell out of Psyche.

"What?" she asked, "what?"

"I thought they said they told you. They are soulmates Psyche, I was sure you knew."

"What?" Psyche demanded, "They can't be."

"They are I'm afraid," her mother told her again softly. "Why are you angry about this Psyche? Why does it anger you so much that your friend should experience something so special?"

"Because," Psyche said.

"Why?" her mother asked again.

"Why are you pushing this Mom?" Psyche said angrily.

"Because I think it's important you ask yourself this question. I think it's important you know the answer."

Psyche stared pensively into space for a few minutes. She had been so angry about everything lately, there didn't seem to be a reason for any of it so why should her reason be so important this time.

"Because," she said eventually, "it's unfair. Why should someone like him find his one and only when there are so many good people out there who are alone? Why should they get to be happy and together when you and Dad couldn't be?" 

Psyche paused to take a breath; she had blurted it all out quickly afraid of what she was saying, afraid of the emotions she was making known.

"Oh Psyche," her Mom said softly, "I know how angry you are that your father was killed but you shouldn't take that out on other people. You shouldn't lay the blame on those who had nothing to do with it. You shouldn't be angry at other people just because they're happy."

"I know," Psyche said tears appearing in her eyes, "but it's just so hard. It's just so unfair. I don't know how you can stand it."

"I can stand it because I have you," her mother replied with a bittersweet smile.

Psyche's Mom came to her and held her, letting her cry. Being in her arms, being consoled by her felt so familiar to Psyche, it had been such a common occurrence when she was a child but she had worked so hard at getting stronger, at being strong for her mother, but maybe that had just made her hard, maybe she wasn't strong at all.

Closer to town, in the two-storey farmhouse Truth tossed and turned in a troubled sleep. The spell had gone but her body had not yet recovered and her mind was just being to process what had happened. Her dreams were full of hidden evils, cold and dark. While she was overly warm in her bed, sweating profusely and twisting and talking incoherently in her sleep, her dream self was cloaked in ice falling deeper and deeper into darkness and anger. 

She woke up and sat straight up in bed remembering but pieces of her dreams. She sat in the dark and cried bitter, angry tears. She wondered if it would make her feel better to know who had done it or would that only make her feel worse. If she discovered that one of her friends had been the one who did this she didn't think she'd ever be the same again. To have someone break your trust like that, to have someone betray you like that would hurt you greatly. 

Of course she was hurt that anyone would do that to her but if it was one of her friends it would be so much worse. She had always felt so lonely and sometimes she had felt that she didn't have any real friends, Psyche was her best friend and she still didn't talk to Truth about everything. If it turned out one of her friends had done this to her it would just confirm that old suspicion that people were just friends with her because she was there not because they wanted to be.

She wrapped herself up in her blanket feeling depression sinking in and feeling even angrier. She wasn't going to let whoever cast the spell do this to her, she wasn't going to let them make her question her friends and make her unhappy. They'd tried to destroy her body and they hadn't succeeded she wasn't going to let them destroy her mind, her spirit or her friendships. Tomorrow she'd start trying to get the group back together and get people to accept Midir and then she was going to find out who did this to her and well she hadn't quite got that far yet but she'd come up with something.

Midir stared up at the night sky looking at the stars. So much had happened in the past few days and it was all his fault. Maybe he had been wrong to come to Glenalta, maybe he'd been wrong to believe he deserved peace, he'd done so much maybe this was karma giving him a kick in his ass and showing him he had a lot more to make up for and that he wasn't worthy enough to have peace, that he wasn't worthy enough to have love, not yet. 

But now he'd found Emma he never wanted to leave her, she was such a good person she at least deserved happiness and love. He remembered what she had said about revenge and he worried, maybe that was his fault too, maybe that was his influence, maybe he corrupted everything he touched. 

Look at poor Truth all she had done was be friends with him and someone saw that reason enough to make her suffer. Where was the Witches' Rede now, where was the three fold law, why wasn't the culprit suffering Truth's pain three times over or were they, how was he to know? They didn't even know who had done it. And what would happen when they did find out? He was scared to find out.

Emma closed her eyes and once again tried to get to sleep, but it was almost impossible, there were too many thoughts in her head. So much she didn't know, so many questions, so many things she had to find out. Like who had done this to Truth and what had Midir done with Circle Daybreak and why Psyche's Mom had helped him? 

She supposed it meant that one other person besides she and Truth saw the good in him and that meant a lot to her. Even if no one else felt he was good she would know he was but it was good that others saw it too not just for her but for Midir too. He needed others to believe he was good because he found it so hard to believe for himself. And he was good though, no matter what he had done in the past, he was good, he had honour. Strange to think that about someone who had killed for money but Emma felt it was true.

She didn't know what they were going to do next but they'd do it together, she, Midir, Truth and now Psyche too. It made her feel more confident, stronger, and braver to know that at least she had those few people she cared for backing her. She could handle anything now; handle whatever was going to be thrown at her until this was resolved.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: The Night World is the property of L.J. Smith.  
  
Spoilers: None so far it is based on the Night World Series but I don't spoil any of the books, just the Night World concept really.  
  
Author's Notes: Thanks Mandy for reviewing, I'm glad you're liking the story more I kind of lost my way with it for a while there but it's back on track now. And I am working on the sequel to Bound by Flame, I will definitely be posting some of it soon, well as soon as I'm happy with it. Anyway thanks again for reviewing.  
  
  
  
Part 13.  
  
Emma groaned loudly as her mother yelled at her to get up for school. It seemed so strange to be doing things so normal as putting on her uniform and going to school but then the world didn't stop just because her life was in complete disarray. How quickly things had changed; just two weeks ago things had been great, she'd had her friends and a relatively normal life, well as normal a life as you could have when you lived somewhere like Glenalta and now. Well, now she had Midir, but was that enough. She sighed, she knew things could never go back to the way they'd been and though she loved Midir, sometimes, just sometimes she wished things had been different.  
  
She hurried to the kitchen where she wolfed down her breakfast and smiled as her mother gave her usual tirade of admonishments about how she'd choke herself. She liked the normalcy of it; the way things were going her home life would be the only part of her life that was normal for a long time. She heard the bus pull in outside and grabbed her jacket giving her mother a rushed goodbye.  
  
She was really not looking forward to school today; it was going to be bad enough being on the bus with Stella and Hayden but spending the whole day surrounded by her former friends was not going to be pleasant by any stretch of the imagination. To make matters worse she was going to be questioning all of them, looking at them thinking were you the one who put the spell on Truth, were you the one who hurt our friend so much. That suspicion more than anything else would probably be the end of their friendship, how could she be friends with people she didn't trust.  
  
Truth rolled out of bed with great difficulty; she felt totally exhausted and really didn't want to go to school but what was she supposed to say, "Hey Mom, I can't go to school today because I'm still recovering from having a spell put on me." She somehow didn't think that would work. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and sighed; she was really showing the effects of yesterday. She looked terrible, her eyes were bloodshot and had dark circles under them, plus her hair looked like it needed to be washed.  
  
"I guess I could try Mom I can't go to school today because I look a right state," she said to herself, "that's got a better chance of working than the truth."  
  
"Truth are you talking to yourself again?" her younger sister Charity asked from the doorway.  
  
"Yes, I am," Truth replied.  
  
"That's okay then," Charity said with a smile, "I was worried the voices had come back."  
  
Truth grinned; Charity always knew how to make her smile. It was great that at least one of her sisters shared her sense of humour, strange as it may be.  
  
"You feeling better?" Charity asked.  
  
"Yep," Truth replied, "Right as rain."  
  
"That's good. Fiachra was really worried about you. He had me worried too; he said you looked terrible. I thought I'd find you half dead when I got home but you didn't look too bad. You look worse this morning."  
  
"Gee, thanks," Truth replied.  
  
"You're welcome," Charity said with a grin and sauntered off to the bathroom leaving Truth to digest what she had just said.  
  
Fiachra had been worried about her that was unexpected in a nice way, if he was worried about her then there was definitely a friendship to salvage there. She already had a plan to get him to listen to her, one she felt certain would work.  
  
Emma smiled at Midir as he sat down beside her on the bus. He smiled sweetly back and out his arm around her shoulder.  
  
"I figure if people are going to be angry about us being together we should give them something to be angry about," he whispered.  
  
"I'm not so sure that's a good idea," Emma replied softly, "I mean there's someone out there who's willing to hurt innocent people because of us; I don't think antagonising them is the way to go."  
  
"I'm not antagonising them; I'm just bringing us out in the open but if you don't want that," he stopped and looked at her.  
  
Emma studied his face sharply; there was something she didn't recognise in his expression. She didn't know what to say; she didn't know what he wanted to hear. He sighed angrily beside her.  
  
"For God sake Emma, I'm not so fragile that you have to tell me what I want to hear all the time. I'm your soulmate for God's sake; I want to hear what you think. I want to know how you feel but if you think I need to hear you spout some little, reassuring phrase that will make me feel better then you sure as hell don't know me."  
  
"What do you think I've been saying for the past few days Midir? I don't know you."  
  
"Is that what you think?" Midir snapped loudly.  
  
Emma tried to calm him down, as they were quickly becoming the centre of attention. He looked at her with betrayal and disappointment in his eyes then stood up and moved to a different seat as far away from her as possible.  
  
Emma followed him with her gaze wishing she could fix what had just happened but there was nothing she could say that would rectify what was wrong between them. She really believed what she had said; she didn't know Midir not at all, that was one thing this whole situation had taught her, you could never really know anyone but did she trust him? Yes. Did she love him? Yes. Would that be enough? She wasn't sure.  
  
Midir felt like banging his head against the window beside him. Why was she acting like this? Couldn't she see she was doing exactly what whoever had cast the spell wanted? That they had set out to drive a wedge between them and it was working. Couldn't she see that she did know him? She knew him better that anyone else did. That's what the soulmate principle was all about, showing them to each other, letting them know each other. You couldn't love someone you didn't know; so that was what she was really saying she to him, she didn't love him.  
  
Truth smiled as she saw Fiachra walked down the hall towards her, now was her chance. She grabbed his arm and dragged him into a nearby room.  
  
"Shit Truth, tear my arm off why don't you," he exclaimed.  
  
"Sorry," she said not meaning it at all. "We've got to talk."  
  
Fiachra glared at her rubbing his arm, "There are easier ways of getting my attention."  
  
"Please," Truth exclaimed, "you're a werewolf, I'm a human, suck it up and stop acting like a baby."  
  
Fiachra glared at her again and then a look of astonishment crept over his handsome features.  
  
"Hey you're better," he said with a smile.  
  
"I'm better," she replied.  
  
"That's good because you looked like shit yesterday."  
  
"Gee thanks," she replied, "actually I'm glad you brought that up because that's what I wanted to talk to you about."  
  
Fiachra's eyebrows disappeared into his hair, "you want to talk to me about being sick?"  
  
"Not exactly," Truth told him, "You see I wasn't actually sick."  
  
"But everyone said you were sick. You looked sick."  
  
"It was a spell."  
  
"Who?" Fiachra asked angrily, "Why?"  
  
"We don't know who but we're pretty sure because I'm friends with Midir and Emma."  
  
Truth saw Fiachra's expression darken when she mentioned Midir but when he didn't say anything she continued.  
  
"I know that you're angry at me and Emma right now and the last thing you probably want to do is help us but we are under pack protection and I thought you should know."  
  
"Truth," Fiachra said softly, "I'm not angry with you or Emma, not really. I'm hurt and disappointed but not angry. I am angry at whoever cast that spell on you, angry that they didn't respect the pack but more than that I'm furious that anyone would try to hurt you. I'll help however you want and the whole pack will too."  
  
Truth flung her arms around Fiachra and gave him a hug, "Thanks Fiachra, I knew I could count on you."  
  
When she pulled away she saw he was blushing which was very strange; Fiachra never blushed, he loved compliments, almost too much in Truth's opinion, so why would he go scarlet just because she said she could count on him, very strange but there were more important mysteries they had to work on.  
  
Psyche sat at the window waiting for Emma and Midir to turn up. She had already spoken to Truth who was off trying to get Fiachra to help them. If anything would convince Fiachra to help them it was someone trying to hurt Truth, though Truth herself didn't realise it.  
  
She smiled as the bus that brought Midir and Emma to school pulled in. She was going to apologise for being such a bitch the last few days and try to be friends with Midir for Emma's sake if nothing else. She couldn't imagine how it must feel to have to listen to everyone tell you how terrible your soulmate was but she did know how it had affected her mother and how it had led to her mother's separation from her family and friends. She wasn't going to let that happen to Emma, not if she could help it.  
  
She watched as Emma scurried into the school looking miserable and went straight to the girls' toilets. Midir followed a few minutes later. Storming into the school with a dark scowl on his face completely ignoring everything and everyone around him.  
  
"Did you see that?" Stella said to Psyche as she and Hayden came through the door. "Isn't it great? Maybe Emma's finally coming to her senses."  
  
Psyche looked at her two friends.  
  
"Great? Great that one of our friends is really upset? That she's probably crying in the toilets right now?" Psyche asked with disdain, ignoring the little voice that told her she'd probably have felt the same way if this had happened yesterday.  
  
"No," Stella said sternly, "Great that she might finally realise what she's been doing and realise who her friends are."  
  
"Who her friends are?" Psyche replied softly, "I think she already knows that."  
  
"What does that mean?" Hayden asked, "Is something going on Psyche?"  
  
Psyche met his questing violet eyes and cursed the Harman heritage that gave him his intuition.  
  
"No Hayden," she lied through her teeth, "There's nothing going on."  
  
"Liar," he replied, "I can tell something's up so why don't you just tell us what it is. You know I'm going to find out anyway; it just might take a little more time."  
  
"You're not going to be interested," she said eventually.  
  
"How're you going to know that until you tell us?" Stella asked.  
  
"I just know," Psyche replied airily hoping they'd drop the subject.  
  
"What is Psyche?" Hayden demanded, "What are you so afraid to tell us?"  
  
"I'm not afraid to tell you anything," Psyche snapped, "I just don't want to tell you."  
  
"You don't trust us," Hayden said angrily.  
  
"Yes, no. Oh I don't know," Psyche sighed.  
  
"Well that certainly clears everything up," Hayden said with a fleeting smile. "We're you're friends Psyche if you can't trust us then who can you trust?"  
  
"Emma's one of our friends too and so is Truth and look how we've been treating them."  
  
"That's different," Stella said.  
  
"How?" Psyche asked, "How is that different? They're our friends and we believed that they would be friends with someone who would hurt us. We didn't trust them and they, they trusted us and we ostracized them and treated them like dirt. Goddess, what kind of people are we?"  
  
Hayden looked at his friend on the verge of tears and said softly, "We're scared people Psyche, scared and careful. We've all got something we're running from, we've all got something to fear. How else are we supposed to act when the embodiment of that fear turns up in our home? Welcome it with open arms?"  
  
"That's no excuse Hayden, we can't let our fears rule us like that; we can't let them turn us into people like that. Midir's just like us, he's running too. And besides all that, Emma and Truth are two of the best people I know and because of our fear they're getting hurt. I don't know about you guys but that doesn't exactly make me feel too good about myself."  
  
Psyche finished and then grabbed her bag and headed off to find Emma leaving her friends to think about what she had just said. 


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: The Night World is the property of L.J. Smith.

Part 14.

Psyche looked at the small group of her friends gathered in the room.  Truth sat on a table swinging her legs and looking off into space thoughtfully.  Fiachra leaned against the door keeping watch to make sure no one interrupted them; he stood with his arms folded and a grim expression on his face looking very much like a bodyguard.  Every now and then Psyche noticed his gaze drift to Truth but no one else did.

Midir and Emma stood as far apart from each other as was possible.  Midir stood at the window looking at something only he could see and Emma sat at the other side of the room, her face was pale and she looked worn but determined.

"Okay," Psyche began breaking the silence that had occupied the room for the past few minutes.  "My mother has come up with an idea of how to find whoever did the spell."

"How?" Truth asked, " A spell?  I didn't know there were tracing spells."

"Not a spell," Psyche told her, "she's going to try and scry for them."

"How would she do that?" Truth asked. 

Psyche smiled, Truth had always been interested in witchcraft and she was glad to see the spell hadn't robbed her of that interest.

"Well the power used for the spell may have left a, I don't know how to describe it, a residue I guess, one that could lead us to the person or she could try and scry for the person who cast the spell.  I think she's going to try and trace the power first; that's the most likely to work."

"So what then?" Midir asked.

"Well we're going to be with her when she scries and when we find whoever did it we take them before the elders," Fiachra told him.

"Who's we?" he asked.

"Me and some of the pack.  You too if you want."

"And me," Emma said.

"I don't think," Fiachra began.

"And me," Truth interrupted him.

"I don't think," Fiachra began again raising his voice.

"I don't care if you don't think it's a good idea I'm going," Truth told him.

"How do you know that's what I was going to say?" he asked.

"Because I know you and I know the stupid ideas you have about protecting people," Truth replied.

"There's nothing stupid about wanting to protect the people you care about," Fiachra snapped.

"I know," Truth said wearily, "I'm sorry but there is no way in hell you're stopping me from going and I think that goes for Emma too."

"That goes for me too," Emma confirmed.

"See," Truth said with a hint of triumph.

"Fine but if anything happens to you guys I am not responsible, alright."

"Alright," Emma replied, "When are we going to do this?"

"That depends on Mom, tonight or tomorrow night," Psyche informed her.

"When will you know?" Midir asked her.

"When I get home; I'll call all you guys and let you know where and when."

"Sounds like we've got a plan," Truth said with a smile.

"Sounds like," Fiachra agreed and grinned at her.

"Unfortunately it doesn't include a way for us to avoid English which is starting oh about 5 minutes ago," Psyche said.

"I guess we'd better go so," Fiachra said.

"Do we have too," Truth groaned, "it's so boring I bore myself awake."

"See Truth the key words there are I and myself, the class is fine it's you that's got the problem," Fiachra joked.

"Are you insinuating that I am boring?  Me?"

"Yes Truth, you are incredibly boring and if you don't hurry on you'll be boring yourself to death in detention, you know how Miss. Clifford hates people being late," Psyche advised her.

"This is so weird," Truth said softly to Fiachra when the others had left the room.

"What is?" he asked gently.

"Talking about trying to trace someone who put a terrible spell on me and then having to worry about being late for English."

"I know, we all feel like that from time to time but I'd have thought you'd be used to it by now, you've lived here since you were born; you know what it's like here."

"Yeah but it's not the same," Truth replied.

"Why?  Because now it's happening to you?"

"Something like that," Truth said meekly.

Fiachra opened his mouth as if to say something but obviously thought better of it and clamped it shut again.  He sighed heavily and opened the door.

"Come on, English awaits," he said.

Truth wondered for a moment what he had been about to say then followed him from the room.

"Couldn't have been anything important," she said to herself as she followed him down the corridor.

Emma noticed Psyche glancing sideways at her as they walked down the corridor.

"So are you going to tell me?" she asked.

"Tell you what?" Emma replied.

"What you and Midir are fighting about."

"We're not fighting," Emma told her.

"Then what's going on?  Yesterday you guys couldn't get enough of each other and today you're not even talking; if that's fighting then I don't know what is."

"He got upset because of something I said."

"He got upset?" Psyche said with a slight grin.

"Yes, he got upset.  It's not as strange as you seem to think."

"A scary assassin getting upset over something you said sounds pretty strange to me," Psyche replied.  "What did you say?"

"I just said that I don't really know him."

"And that upset him so much you guys aren't even talking?"

"Apparently so," Emma replied.

"I wonder," Psyche said biting her fingernail and looking thoughtful.

"You wonder what?" Emma asked.

"Just why something like that would upset him so much.  You're his soulmate don't you know?"

"If I did do you think we'd be having this conversation."

"I don't know.  Would we?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"  Emma asked angrily.

"Nothing," Psyche replied quickly.

"Psyche what did you mean by that?" Emma demanded.

"Look I don't want to upset you or make you angry but maybe, and I mean maybe, you're looking for someone to blame this all on and Midir's a pretty handy target."

"That's not what's going on Psyche," Emma replied angrily, "Midir's my soulmate; I love him, I don't blame him for what's happened."

"Does he know that?" Psyche asked.

"Of course," Emma told her.

"How?  Have you told him?  And if he knows why are you guys fighting?"

"I don't need to tell him; he knows, and we're not fighting."

"If you say so," Psyche said softly.

"I do," Emma replied.

Midir walked down the hall in a kind of daze.  It would be over soon; they'd find whoever had cast the spell, unfortunately he knew that wasn't the only problem they had at the moment.  Finding whoever had tried to hurt Truth wouldn't fix what was wrong between him and Emma, nothing would.  He sighed despondently as he neared the class room door, if he wasn't with Emma then what was there to keep him in Glenalta, what did it matter if the Night World found him; what did it matter if he died when he had nothing left to live for.

Truth turned to Fiachra just before they went into English.

"How do you think the others will feel about you talking to us?  How do you think they'll feel about helping us?" she asked him.

"They'll be fine with it once we explain. Trist, Clea and Nathan were already trying to get us to talk to you guys and Hern and Hayden will understand.  It's Stella and Hazel you've got to worry about; they've got the most to lose if someone from the Night World does find out about this place."

"But it wasn't the Night World who sent him here; it was Circle Daybreak surely that's got to mean something to them."

"Truth I know you're close with Psyche and her mom and you're a pretty big Daybreak supporter but not everyone feels the same trust in them you do.  No offence to Mrs. Ahern but it's hard to trust a group who will accept anyone as a member and I mean anyone, even the worst of the worst."

"That's not true, besides the fact that the worst of the worst wouldn't want anything to do with Circle Daybreak, they're not idiots whatever you might think.  They don't give their trust lightly; they've got so much to lose as much as anyone here.  They're not going to trust someone unless they're trustworthy.  Midir's trustworthy Fiachra, I know it, Emma knows it, even Psyche knows it, trust us if you can't trust him."

"I'll try Truth but I can't forget what he is, what he was, what he's done.  Don't ask me too," Fiachra said softly.

"No one expects you to Fiachra, we just want you to give him a chance and not to stop being friends with us because we're friends with him."

"I'd never stop being friends with you Truth no matter what."

"Thanks, I'm glad.  I'll always be your friend too, come what may."

"Come what may?  You're definitely spending too much time with the witches," he said with a laugh.

"Well you know what they say," Truth replied with a smile.

"No, what do they say?"

"Witches rule and wolves drool," Truth said and rushed into the classroom laughing.

Fiachra stuck his tongue out at her and smiled.  Things were finally getting back to normal between them and Midir didn't seem like such a bad guy maybe things would be okay. 

"Or maybe not," he thought as he saw the looks of anger on the faces of his other friends.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: The Night World is the property of L.J. Smith.  
  
Spoilers: None so far it is based on the Night World Series but I don't spoil any of the books, just the Night World concept really.  
  
Author's Notes: Thanks Mandy for commenting. I'm sorry these parts took so long. I had exams for the past few weeks but I'm finished now and I'm on holidays so I hope to get this story finished and I have already started the sequel to Bound By Flame which I will start posting as soon as I finish this story.  
  
Part 15.  
  
Emma spent the entire class thinking about what Psyche had said to her. Was she using Midir as a scapegoat to blame everything? Was she being unfair to him? He was the one who had got angry with her over nothing; he was the one with the problem not her. She didn't even know what she'd said to make him angry; that was what was so annoying about it, she hadn't meant to make him angry; she didn't think anything she said would make him angry, it just went to show that she really didn't know him as well as she should, as well as she wanted to.  
  
She leaned her head on her hand and sighed gently. Things just kept getting worse and worse. She missed the others so much; she missed joking with Hayden and talking with Stella and Hazel. She missed Nathan's biting sarcasm and sharp wit, Tristram's quiet intelligence and Clea's reflective nature and calming influence, Fiachra's steadiness and Hern's warmth and friendship. She just missed them all.  
  
Fiachra, who had obviously decided to nail his colours to the mast, was sitting with Truth. He stared at her until she caught his eye and then he smiled at her. It was strangely reassuring to Emma. Not just because now they had Fiachra on their side, which was reassuring in itself, but also because if Fiachra the most responsible, steadfast and strait-laced of them could accept Midir then surely they all could. Plus now they had the pack's help in tracking down who had cast the spell on Truth.  
  
  
  
She tried again to think of who could have done such a thing. Before she had been so angry and upset she hadn't really thought it through but now she was calmer she could think about it more logically. There seemed to be only one reason for anyone to want to hurt Truth, everyone liked her and she had never done anything that would make someone want to hurt her so that left only one conclusion; that she had been hurt because she was friends with her and Midir.  
  
There were plenty of people who were angry over that but Emma really didn't believe that any of her friends would have done it. They just weren't capable of doing something like that. So who else could it have been? There were so many people in Glenalta who felt they had something to fear from Midir that it made it too difficult to narrow it down to any small group of people, they just had to hope that Mrs. Ahern's spell worked.  
  
  
  
Truth sat with Midir and Emma watching Fiachra and Psyche talking to their other friends.  
  
"So on a scale of one to ten how do we think they're doing?" she asked.  
  
Emma glanced up at the others trying to gauge their reactions by the looks on their faces. Clea and Tristram looked torn, they were the two who had least to worry about from Midir and they were obviously finding it hard having to choose between their two groups of friends. Hern looked disbelieving and seemed to be looking towards Fiachra for some kind of explanation of what was going on. Hayden much to Emma's surprise looked sad; she didn't understand why he would be sad but Stella's expression was easily recognised and easily understood; she was angry, incredibly, extremely angry.  
  
"I'm thinking 4 out of 10," she told Truth.  
  
"Really I was thinking more like 6 out of 10," Truth replied, "anyway I've realised something in the past few hours."  
  
"Yeah what's that?" Midir asked.  
  
"Well I figure we don't have to worry so much," Truth told him, "they're our friends. They know us; they would never hurt either of us so they didn't cast the spell on me so right now I'm thinking they're not our biggest problem. I know that it's hard having them angry at us and feeling like we'll never be friends again but I think, no I know that's not true. All they need is a little time then they'll see Midir isn't here to hurt anyone and they'll adjust to the idea. They may never get to like him as such but they'll get used to the idea of the two of you being together and they'll start to miss you Em and they'll just come to their senses.  
  
It was a lot for them to take in and I think we just expected too much from them, we didn't give them any time to think or anything, we just kind of said this is how things are you accept it or not."  
  
"You think time will heal all ills," Midir said.  
  
"Well it usually does. Basically you either get better or you die and I don't think any of us want our friendships to die; we've been friends too long and we've meant too much to each other to let that happen," Truth told him.  
  
Truth looked up and caught Emma smiling at her.  
  
"What?" she asked, "Did I say something funny?"  
  
"No," Emma replied, "it's just you're being so optimistic. It's new for you that's all."  
  
"I am always optimistic," Truth told her.  
  
"If you say so," Emma said softly.  
  
Both girls smiled but stopped talking as the raised voices of the other group caught their attention. They watched apprehensively as the argument continued and Emma sighed sorrowfully as the argument ended with Stella storming off angrily.  
  
  
  
"Well that didn't go as well as we hoped," Psyche said when she and Fiachra came over to sit with the others.  
  
"It went better than I expected," Fiachra told her.  
  
"Really?" she said with surprise evident in her voice, "How so?"  
  
"Well Tristram and Clea definitely are still friends with Emma and want this thing sorted out as much as we do; Hern's agreed to come with us tonight and he seems willing to give Midir a chance. Hayden seems pretty upset with the way things are going and I get the feeling he wants to help us so Stella's really the only problem and maybe Hazel too; we'll have to talk to her this evening."  
  
"You certainly seem to have changed your tune," Midir said with a tone of cynicism, "this morning you wouldn't even talk to us and this afternoon you're converting people to our side."  
  
"I wouldn't say converting," Fiachra said with a smile, "but I understand what you're saying, I seem to have changed sides pretty fast. But I don't think there are any sides in this; we're all friends we just have to adjust to the idea of you and Emma together and once everyone does they'll realise how silly this has all been."  
  
"I wouldn't say silly," Psyche said softly, "people do have genuine concerns about Midir and it's understandable that they should be afraid of you. You have got a fairly lengthy list of assassinations to your name and whether you like it or not people here are going to judge you by your past actions and until you prove to them that you have changed you can't just expect them to accept you."  
  
"I know that," Midir told her, "but I don't know how I'm supposed to prove I've changed. If there's something I can do tell me and I'll do it but I just don't see anything I can do to make them see that I'm not the same as I use to be."  
  
"Don't worry," Truth said with a smile, "we'll think of something."  
  
"Yeah we will," Emma said smiling at Midir.  
  
"Great I'm glad we've that sorted out. Now I don't know about the rest of you but I am starving," Fiachra said.  
  
"So you're always starving or famished or hungry, you eat more than anyone I know," Truth said with a laugh.  
  
"I'm a growing boy we need our nutrients and minerals and all that stuff, back me up here Midir."  
  
For the first time that day, and for what seemed like years to Emma, Midir smiled.  
  
"Yes us males need to eat our body weight in food everyday or else we're just totally useless."  
  
"You mean you're no totally useless already?" Psyche asked with an innocent look.  
  
"You are so dead," Fiachra told her and chased her down the corridor.  
  
"It's great to see those kids happy again," Truth said to the others.  
  
They all laughed as they heard Psyche shriek from somewhere down the hall.  
  
"Things are starting to get back to normal," Emma said happily.  
  
"And that's what you want isn't," Midir said softly, "things to be normal."  
  
"Yeah," Emma replied, "that's what I want."  
  
"It's good to see you kids talking again," Truth said grinning at the two of them, "now come on, Fiachra isn't the only one who wants food."  
  
Emma smiled at Midir and followed Truth towards the school shop.  
  
Midir sighed as he watched them walk down the hall, "I'll try and give it to you Emma, I just hope normalcy will make you happy and that it's what you really want." 


	16. Chapter 16

Part 16.  
  
Emma tapped her fingers against the table incessantly. Her English homework sat in front of her and the radio was blaring but she was successfully ignoring both of them. Her eyes drifted to the phone for only the 6th time that minute. Psyche was supposed to call and tell her when they were going to try and trace the spell.  
  
Emma felt so frustrated she didn't know what to do. She wanted to hit things, to kick the table or fling a plate across the room. She couldn't stand this, any of this. Everything was out of her control; she couldn't do anything to change or fix things. She felt utterly useless.  
  
The worst part of this whole thing was that she couldn't do anything about it. From the first day she had met Midir events had spiralled further and further from her control and she didn't like it. She had never wanted excitement or adventure. She was an ordinary, normal, fairly boring girl living an almost ordinary, normal, occasionally monotonous life and however much she had complained about it she liked the dull life.  
  
She didn't want to have to deal with people hurting her friends and her other friends not talking to her. She didn't want to have to deal with the difficulties of having a vampire as a soulmate but here she was trying to deal with all these things. She was angry at fate or God or whatever powers had done this to her and she hadn't let it out properly. She had taken all that anger, pushed it down and let it grow into a bitter rage.  
  
When Truth had been hurt she had taken that rage and aimed it at whoever had performed the spell. She didn't like the person it made her then but the anger had sort of clouded her mind making her that horrible, vengeful person, just one more thing beyond her control. And now it seemed that anger was being directed at Midir.  
  
She hadn't said anything to him or fought with him or anything but he seemed to have sensed it anyway. Then today he had been so upset and she didn't even know why. She hadn't said any of the things that she had been thinking about him yet something she said had upset him and she didn't know what. She sighed, wasn't this usually the guys part, not knowing what they'd done wrong. She was going to have to try and fix it; it was another thing on her ever-increasing list. It had to work out because no matter how angry she was she still loved him. Now all she wanted was a nice, normal life with Midir.  
  
As she was thinking this the phone finally rang. She jumped in surprise and laughed at herself. She had been waiting for the phone to ring for hours and now she was surprised that it had. She was such a fool sometimes. She picked up the receiver and listened as a breathless Psyche told her they were to meet later that evening. Apparently she had been running around all afternoon helping her mother prepare and then calling everyone. She said she felt pooped and they hadn't even begun the spell yet.  
  
As she put down the phone Emma left out an enormous sigh of relief. It would all be over soon. Well maybe not it all but at least whoever hurt Truth would be punished and they wouldn't be able to hurt any more of her friends.  
  
Knowing what was going on still didn't help Emma concentrate. Now she was worried about what would happen that evening. As much as she wanted to find out who had cast the spell a large part of her was afraid to find out. Who could hate Midir so much they would hurt someone for just being friends with him? Why did they hate him so much?  
  
As the bottom of the sky was tinged with red, in what Emma always considered the suns last ditch effort in the battle against the oncoming darkness, she heard the car pull into her drive. She grabbed her coat and taking a deep breath stepped outside. Midir sat in the car waiting for her; she could tell he was nervous though he was trying hard to hide it.  
  
"Hey," she said softly.  
  
"Hey," he replied.  
  
"How're you doing?" she asked.  
  
"Okay, I'm glad it will be over soon."  
  
"Me too," Emma told him. "I wonder how Truth is feeling."  
  
"Probably just like us only more so."  
  
"Probably. She's handling it a lot better than I would," Emma said.  
  
"Me too," Midir said with a smile, "she's stronger than she looks. Stronger than most people but I don't think she realises that."  
  
"She doesn't," Emma agreed. "I don't know, I think it's just she doesn't have a lot of self confidence, she doesn't realise how much she is capable of."  
  
"Most people don't know what there capable of until they're in a situation where they have to act."  
  
"That's true. You didn't know you were capable of being good and now you do."  
  
"I wouldn't say good exactly," Midir replied.  
  
"I would," Emma said and smiled.  
  
Midir smiled back and Emma could feel some of the tension between them slip away. She felt more comfortable with him than she had in a while and it felt good, it felt right.  
  
Emma could see three or four dark figures waiting outside Psyche's house as they arrived. She recognised them as Fiachra, Hern, and two other pack members. They stopped beside Fiachra and she rolled down the window to talk to him.  
  
"Hi, so what's going on?" she asked.  
  
"Dad and some of the other older guys are talking with Mrs. Ahern. They wanted to sort out some of the details and stuff and soon as they're done we're going to get started."  
  
Fiachra looked very pensive and he was even chewing his lip, something he always did when he was thinking, worried or frightened.  
  
"What's wrong?" she asked him.  
  
"Nothing, well I'm a little worried about Truth. Right now she's upset and angry and it's okay, it's easy to be angry at some unknown entity but when she finds out who it was it's going to be hard for her. You know how hard she finds it to trust people, no matter who it is it will make it harder for her but if it's," he stopped short obviously feeling uncomfortable about finishing that thought out.  
  
"You mean if Stella or Hazel or Hayden has something to do with it she will probably never trust someone again," Emma said for him.  
  
"Did I hear my name mentioned," Hazel asked as she stepped out of the shadows.  
  
"Don't do that," Emma exclaimed, "you scared the bejesus out of me."  
  
"Sorry," Hazel replied with a completely unremorseful grin. "You must be Midir," she said leaning in the window, "I've been hearing a lot about you."  
  
"I've heard a lot about you too," Midir said smiling and reaching across Emma to offer her his hand.  
  
"So you're probably wondering why I'm here," Hazel said to Emma.  
  
"I think I know, someone hurt one of your friends and you want to be there if or when they get their ass kicked."  
  
"Yeah and also I wanted you to know that I am okay with the you and Midir thing, Psyche and Truth explained everything to me."  
  
"They did?"  
  
"They did and I wish you'd told me yourself, I'd have understood. We can't choose who we love," Hazel said quietly with a bittersweet smile that made Emma think that she understood a lot more than she was telling.  
  
"Thanks Hazel," she replied, "I should have told you myself but I was scared you'd react the same as the others."  
  
"That's okay. So do you think there will be ass kicking involved tonight?"  
  
"Doubtful," Emma told her, "I think the biggest thing will be finding out who it is and then the elders will take him or her off and I don't know. What do the elders do with people who break the rules Fiachra?"  
  
Fiachra turned his attention away from the female pack member he'd been talking to, "That depends on a lot of things, what they did, who they did it too, if it put Glenalta in danger of being found out, that kind of thing. I don't know what they're going to do tonight. They were talking of letting the witches know and deal with it themselves; it was a forbidden spell that was done. Mrs. Ahern was talking about letting Circle Daybreak help, you know some kind of rehabilitation or something; it all depends."  
  
"I think Circle Daybreak would be a good idea," Midir said softly.  
  
"You do?" Fiachra asked.  
  
"Yeah, obviously this person has a big problem with me and that's understandable, hell if I was anyone else here I'd have a big problem with me. Circle Daybreak helped me change they can help this person too. I just don't understand why they took it out on someone innocent like Truth. They punished her for my mistakes; I mean if they done it to me it would be different."  
  
"No it wouldn't Midir," Emma told him strongly, "It wouldn't make any difference it would still be wrong. You are a good person now and you're trying to make up for what you did. To hurt you would be as big a crime as hurting Truth. Killing you while you are seeking redemption would be unforgivable, taking you from me would be unforgivable."  
  
"You mean that?" Midir asked softly.  
  
"Of course I do. I love you; I need you, you know that."  
  
"I do now," Midir whispered and leaned across and brushed his lips against hers.  
  
"I hate to break up this tender moment," Fiachra said with a smile, "but I think we're on the move."  
  
Emma got out of the car as the older people came out of the house followed by Psyche and Truth. Truth gave her a quick wave that made Emma smile Truth seemed more like her old self. Emma was glad, it seemed so long since they had all been laughing and joking in The Rising Moon; she had been afraid they'd never do it again but everyday seemed to bring her closer to regaining her old friendships and regaining the trust of her friends. She hoped one day they would all trust her again.  
  
Fiachra's father started to tell them all how exactly they were going to do this. Emma saw him glance warily at Midir as he spook and she knew Midir saw it too. She stood closer to him and slipped her hand into his. He squeezed it and entwined his fingers with hers.  
  
The shock of physical contact was as strong as the first time they'd touched. She shivered slightly for no other reason than the sensation the connection sent through her. She had almost forgotten it could feel like this just so good, so reassuring and just so right. This was where she was meant to be and knowing that she was exactly where she was meant to be was more blissful and exhilarating an experience than anything she had felt before. She looked deep into the depths of Midir's eyes and she knew he felt the same way too. And she felt with complete certainty that no matter what happened tonight things would be okay.  
  
"Okay," Mrs. Ahern said when Fiachra's dad finished. "Lets get this over with." 


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: The Night World is the property of L.J. Smith.  
Spoilers: None so far it is based on the Night World Series but I  
don't spoil any of the books, just the Night World concept really.  
Author's Notes: I am so, so sorry that this part took so long but I found it incredibly hard to write this part as well as having lots of other things taking up my time as well.  
  
Anyway it's finally finished and I have to thank Mandy and Athena for reviewing the last part, thanks a lot you guys.  
  
Part 17.  
  
Hazel sat silently as Midir followed the other car slowly through the small, country roads. She had to admit it felt really weird just sitting there between two werewolves been driven around by Midir Boyce. Weirder still was the fact that it didn't seem so terrible, he didn't seem so terrible, in fact he seemed like a pretty nice guy. That was what was so bizarre someone who had been so feared by so many seemed like a nice guy.  
  
She wondered what had made him change. Something had to have happened to make him choose to change, guys like him didn't change for no reason. The few cases like this she had heard of put the reason for the transformation squarely on the shoulders of the soulmate principle but Midir had decided to join Daybreak ever before he met Emma, which begged the question, why exactly had he become a Daybreaker? Emma asking her something brought her out of her thoughts.  
  
"Huh," she replied.  
  
"What exactly is Mrs. Ahern doing?" she asked.  
  
"She told us earlier. Were you not listening?" Psyche asked innocently.  
  
"Of course I was," Emma replied, "I just," she paused, "I just forgot."  
  
"Sure, sure," Hazel said with a knowing smile. "She had a small compass with her and she did a spell that causes it to point towards the origin of the spell on Truth. That's why Truth had to be there so it could pick up the trace energy still around her and track down it's beginning. It's kind of like giving a dog scent."  
  
"She can do that?" Emma said in surprise.  
  
"Apparently so."  
  
"So this shouldn't take too long," Athena said.  
  
"You got somewhere better to be?" Fiachra snapped.  
  
"Yes," she replied, "I do have a life, which is a lot more interesting that traipsing across the country because someone's pissed at your friend."  
  
Emma could see Fiachra's face getting redder and redder and she could almost hear his teeth grating together. She knew from experience he was about to explode and they were in for a shouting match. She wasn't in the mood to be listening to them yelling. She felt compelled to play peacemaker but Midir beat her to it.  
  
"Look if you don't want to be here I'll stop and let you out," he told Athena. "Otherwise shut up because you know if it was one of your friends you'd want Fiachra's help."  
  
Emma smiled to herself as Athena sat back and clamped her mouth shut and Fiachra visibly deflated. She felt even better when she saw Fiachra looking at Midir with begrudging respect. Wonders would never cease.  
  
"Anyway," Hazel said with a grin, "What I was going to say is that I don't know how long it will take because the arrow just points in the right direction. It could point through fields and hedges or anything so we might have to drive around for a while."  
  
"As long as we find out what's going on before someone else gets hurt who cares how long it takes," Fiachra said with a pointed glance at Athena.  
  
Athena just gazed out the window with feigned indifference.  
  
Emma spent most of the two hours they spent driving around catching up with Hazel. It was so easy to fall back into the easy flowing banter they had always had, it felt almost as if nothing had changed.  
  
"Nothing has changed," Hazel told her, "not between us anyway."  
  
After two hours of what seemed like aimless driving around Emma began to feel very bored and very tired. Sitting in the stuffy car doing nothing was draining her energy. She leaned back in the seat and closed her eyes. She dozed a little until the car hit a pothole and her eyes jolted open.  
  
Emma knew something was wrong but she was so disorientated it took her a full minute to work out what it was. She couldn't see. Everything was black well almost everything, she could kind of make out some darker shapes around her, which she assumed were Midir and the others.  
  
"You guys," she said softly but no one heard her or else no one took any notice of her.  
  
"You guys," she repeated loudly.  
  
"What is it Em?" Hazel asked.  
  
"I can't see."  
  
"What?" Midir exclaimed.  
  
"I can't see," Emma replied.  
  
Midir took his eyes from the road and looked at Emma. She looked a little pale but that was probably the shock and the real problem was the film that covered her eyes obscuring her vision.  
  
He stopped the car right then and there.  
  
"Oh Em," he said softly reaching for her.  
  
As Midir comforted Emma Fiachra took charge. It was the role he was used to leader, decision maker. He told Hazel to inform someone in the other car what was going on and get them back there while he tried to work out what exactly they should do next.  
  
Mrs. Ahern looked at Emma with such gentle compassion it made Midir sorry she couldn't see it. She shook her head and sighed deeply like this attack on Emma somehow wounded her as much as it did his soulmate.  
  
"I don't understand it," Mrs. Ahern said softly, "I don't know what could drive someone to do something like this. I don't know what was so terrible that it made this witch turn on her heritage like this, her calling, her belief. To turn against the rule so strongly and to do such senseless hurt it doesn't seem rational to me."  
  
"I think all signs point to this person not being rational, actually I'd say there about 100 miles shy of rational," Fiachra's father said.  
  
"Yes but to know these spells, to work these spells this must be a capable, determined person."  
  
"There's only one way to find that out," Fiachra replied.  
  
"That's true," his father agreed, "Midir can take Emma home and the rest of us can continue on, I think that's the only sensible thing to do."  
  
"No," Emma said sternly, "I want to stay, I want to know what's going on. I want to stay."  
  
"I don't know," Mrs. Ahern began.  
  
"If it was you, what would you want?" Emma asked. "Look the sooner we find this person, the sooner we find out what the hell's been happening and the sooner I get cured, so lets not argue lets just find this person and get this over and done with."  
  
It felt so strange to Emma not to be able to see, surreal even, she could hear, she could feel and she know they were moving but she didn't know where, she couldn't tell what was making the noises she heard though she could tell what direction they came from. Truthfully it scared her, scared her to death. What if she never got her sight back, what would she do then, what if she never saw her parents again, Midir, her friends. Somehow not being able to see made her feel very alone all of a sudden.  
  
"This is strange," Hazel's voice said somewhere to her right.  
  
"What's strange?" Emma asked. "It must be something pretty big if it's strange after the day we've just had."  
  
"We're heading towards your house," Hazel replied.  
  
"My house?" surprise rippled through Emma. Her house?  
  
Silence settled in on the car and the only way Emma knew she wasn't alone was my hearing the others breathing or the occasional shuffle from the back seat. About 10 minutes later she heard the crunch of gravel beneath the car's tyres.  
  
"I guess we're here," Fiachra said.  
  
"Yeah, but where's here?" Emma thought to herself. The others didn't seem too forthcoming with that information so she just let Midir open her door and lead her from the car. She would know soon enough.  
  
When they stopped she could tell they were all huddled together around a doorway and she heard Fiachra's father pound loudly on the door. Then after a few minutes steps and the door opened.  
  
"So you finally got here," a familiar voice said, "I was wondering how long it would take."  
  
Something went cold inside of Emma as she discovered who exactly had done this to her.  
  
"I knew you were coming," Aine continued, "that's why I knew I had to hurry if I was going to finish what I'd started."  
  
Emma didn't need to see Aine's face to realise there was something slightly unhinged about the girl, she could hear hysteria in her voice.  
  
"Oh child," Mrs. Ahern said softly, "have you any idea what you've done?"  
  
"I know what've done," Aine said her voice holding a hard, cruel edge, "I've done what was needed to be done. I've taken my retribution."  
  
"Retribution," Truth spat, "what have I ever done to you?"  
  
"Nothing," Aine replied.  
  
"Then why did you do this to me?"  
  
"Because he had to learn," Aine told her.  
  
"What?" Fiachra asked.  
  
"He had to learn it wasn't right, that he shouldn't be allowed to have a life, to have friends, to have love, not after what he did. Not after he took that from them, I was just taking from him what he has taken from so many."  
  
"It is not your place to hand out justice," Mrs. Ahern said, "you know that."  
  
"Yeah well no one else was about to. He was here living a normal life when he didn't even let them have a life. He probably doesn't even remember them, they were probably just another job to him."  
  
Emma could hear the pain in Aine's voice, deep, soul scarring pain and any anger she had once held faded to pity.  
  
"They were so in love and he was just a baby," Aine whispered, she wasn't talking to any of them any more only herself. "You should have seen how happy they were when they brought him home form the hospital, how sweet and clean and beautiful he was and then just blood, just a bloody lump, he wasn't even a person anymore. How could he do that to a baby?"  
  
"I didn't," Midir's voice broke through her outburst. "I know who're you talking about now, Aengus and Cliona Collins and their baby son."  
  
"My sister and nephew," Aine revealed, "You killed them because she married a human."  
  
"I didn't," Midir said again, "I was supposed to, I was ordered to but I couldn't, I couldn't kill a baby. That's why I left, that's why I joined Daybreak. I tried to warn them, to protect them but they were afraid of me."  
  
"No," Aine screamed, "No, no, no, no, no. It was you, it was you."  
  
Fiachra's father caught her as she fell into a dead faint.  
  
"I think you'd better go," Mrs. Ahern told them, "she needs help, more help than I can give her. Poor child, so confused, so much pain. We'll get her the help she needs."  
  
"What about Emma?" Midir asked.  
  
"I'll get her to remove the spell or I'll do it myself," Mrs. Ahern told him, "Right now I think the best thing would be to take her home, tonight's taken a lot out of her, out of all of you."  
  
"So this is it," Midir said gently, "This has been what has caused all this trouble a confused, unstable girl."  
  
"I'm afraid so," Mrs. Ahern told him, "Sometimes our pain is so great that that which we cause others seems miniscule in comparison."  
  
****************************  
  
A week after they had found out Aine was behind the spell Emma found herself sitting in the Rising Moon with Midir, Hazel, Truth and Fiachra.  
  
"I tried so hard to be angry with her," Emma told the others, "but I just couldn't do it, I just felt so sorry for her."  
  
"I guess it just goes to show that nothing is black and white," Hazel said softly.  
  
"I wish it was," Truth said softly, "It would make things so much easier, I wouldn't feel so confused. I still feel angry at her but I fell sorry for her too and sometimes I feel terrible for being angry with her and sometimes I feel I'm right to be angry at her. Why can't things ever be plain, simple and straightforward?"  
  
"That would take the fun out of it," Fiachra told her.  
  
"For who?"  
  
"I don't know," Fiachra replied, "I guess for whomever's up there watching us."  
  
"So what time are Clea and Nathan getting here?" Hazel asked.  
  
"I don't know they're supposed to bring Trist with them," Truth told her, "They should be here soon."  
  
"It will be good to have everyone together again," Hazel said.  
  
"Yeah even Hayden's coming," Fiachra joined in.  
  
"That's not everyone," Emma said wistfully.  
  
"No it's not," a voice behind her agreed.  
  
"Stella," Emma exclaimed.  
  
"Yep it's me."  
  
"What are you doing here?"  
  
"Well as much as it pains me to admit it, I was wrong. I guess I was just scared and being stubborn. I mean I guess if you can give Midir a chance I can too, I guess everyone deserves a second chance, that's what coming here's all about. And I guess I should realise that everyone can't be practically perfect like me."  
  
Emma smiled happily, "Well pull up a chair Mary Poppins before your umbrella carries you off God knows where."  
  
Stella grinned and grabbed a chair from a nearby table.  
  
"And Stella?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"I missed you," Emma told her.  
  
"I missed you too, hon. I'm sorry I was such an idiot."  
  
"Like you said," Emma replied, "nobody's perfect, at least not all the time. And at least you made it clear how you felt, at least you didn't hide what you were feeling, at least you didn't conceal what you were feeling in your heart."  
  
"Well if there's one thing you're certain to get from me it's honesty," Stella agreed and then joined into the conversation with the rest of the group as if she'd never been gone.  
  
Emma leaned back in her chair and smiled, her little group of friends were back together again with an extra member and they're was nothing that could have made her happier. Whatever secrets they may all have, whatever hidden events lay in their pasts; they had all opened their hearts to one another and that was what made their friendship so special.  
  
It is finally over, you cannot imagine who relieved I am to have finally finished. Well I hope you enjoyed it. 


End file.
